During Cornering Or Turning Of Vehicle Patents (Class 701/72)
  • Patent number: 11198471
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of controlling a vehicle (1) in which rear road wheels (2b) are driven. The method includes: a step of selecting a first pedal mode in which an acceleration is set based on a depression amount of an accelerator pedal, or a second pedal mode in which the acceleration and a deceleration are set; a step of setting a basic torque based on a driving state of the vehicle; a step of setting an incremental torque to allow the basic torque to be increased in accordance with an increase in steering angle; and a step of generating a torque which is determined by adding the incremental torque to the basic torque, wherein the incremental torque setting step includes setting the incremental torque to different values between when the first pedal mode is selected and when the second pedal mode is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisaku Ogawa, Daisuke Umetsu, Fuminori Kato
  • Patent number: 11142208
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle road load compensation system that includes an accelerator pedal, a throttle, a transmission wherein a vehicle torque is generated proportional to the transmission gear and the motor power, and a control unit disposed within the vehicle and configured to receive real-time sensor data relating to the road load of the vehicle. The control unit includes a real-time throttle map relating the accelerator pedal position to the throttle position, such that a given accelerator pedal position directs a corresponding target throttle position. The control unit also includes a real-time shift map relating a desired transmission gear to a current transmission gear, vehicle speed, and throttle position. In response to the sensor data, the control unit updates the throttle map and shift map such that the vehicle torque is altered based on the road load of the vehicle. The controller may also update a real-time torque converter lockup map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Sandeep Kumar Reddy Janampally, Alejandro M. Sanchez, Alejandro Martinez
  • Patent number: 11084336
    Abstract: A method of determining an orientation of a tire mounted device with respect to a wheel rim using an acceleration sensor. With the wheel in a designated orientation and not rotating, a polarity of acceleration along a vertical axis is determined. Then it is determined which of a first absolute orientation or a second absolute orientation the tire mounted device is in depending on the determined polarity. The determined absolute orientation is correlated with the designated orientation to determine which of a first or second orientation with respect to the wheel rim the tire mounted device is in.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: SENSATA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: William David Stewart, Stephen Robb
  • Patent number: 10814727
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating a hybrid vehicle during operating conditions where vehicle braking is requested. In one example, regenerative braking is allocated to vehicle wheels responsive to actual and estimated vehicle yaw. Additionally, friction braking torque is allocated to vehicle wheels responsive to requested braking torque and regenerative braking torques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yanan Zhao, Ming Lang Kuang, Dale Scott Crombez, Walter Joseph Ortmann, Xiaoyong Wang
  • Patent number: 10723360
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method for estimating a radius of curvature of a vehicle. An apparatus for estimating a radius of curvature of a vehicle includes a processor, a memory for storing a program to be executed in the processor. The program includes instructions for estimating a first radius of curvature of the vehicle based on a yaw rate of the vehicle, estimating a second radius of curvature of the vehicle based on a lateral acceleration of the vehicle, and determining a final radius of curvature of the vehicle by combining the first radius of curvature and the second radius of curvature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Young Jin Jang, Jun Yeon Park, Soung Han Noh
  • Patent number: 10654332
    Abstract: An automatic tilting vehicle comprises left and right front wheels and a rear wheel. A control unit controls a vehicle tilting device so that the tilt angle of the vehicle becomes the target tilt angle. The control device is configured to swingingly vibrates the vehicle in the lateral direction by tilting the vehicle by the vehicle tilting device, to estimate a height of the center of gravity of the vehicle based on a resonance period of swinging vibration of the vehicle, and to correct the target tilt angle such that a perpendicular passing through the estimated center of gravity passes within a range of a triangle formed by connecting grounding points of the left and right front wheels and a grounding point of the rear wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Kameda, Takahito Ishino, Hirotaka Kamano, Osamu Yasuike
  • Patent number: 10507809
    Abstract: A method of controlling the brake system of a vehicle. The method includes receiving one or more electrical signals each indicative of a value of a respective vehicle-related parameter. The method further includes detecting that the vehicle is traveling across a slope based on the value(s) of one or more of the vehicle-related parameters. The method still further includes automatically modifying the amount of brake torque being applied to at least certain of the wheels of the vehicle in response to the detection of the vehicle traveling across a slope by increasing the amount of brake torque being applied to one or more wheels on one side of the vehicle, and decreasing the amount of brake torque being applied to one or more wheels on the other side of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited
    Inventors: Simon Owen, Karl Richards
  • Patent number: 10189459
    Abstract: A method for operating a vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle has at least one torque transmission device which when rotating splashes in a fluid, at least two axles each having at least two wheels and at least one controllable coupling device adapted for selectively coupling or decoupling the torque transmission device with at least one of the wheels. The method includes the steps of: in an operating state in which no torque is requested by a driver of the vehicle, decoupling with the control device the torque transmission device and the at least one wheel when a driving speed of the vehicle is greater than or equal to a predetermined speed threshold value and coupling with the control device the torque transmission device and the at least one wheel for torque transmission when the driving speed is smaller than the predetermined speed threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Andreas Kopp
  • Patent number: 10071729
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a trailer hitch, an axle having an electronic limited slip differential, and a controller. The electronic limited slip differential includes a variable torque capacity lockup clutch. The controller is programmed to, in response to detecting the presence of a trailer connected to the trailer hitch and an increase in vehicle speed, increase the lockup clutch torque by a first torque adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Monticello, Lucian Lippok, Keith Weston
  • Patent number: 9902394
    Abstract: A vehicle behavior information acquisition device includes: a neutral characteristic setting unit in which a vehicle velocity-neutral yaw rate characteristic where a behavior of a user's vehicle is supposed to be in a neutral state is previously set based on a vehicle velocity and a steering angle of the vehicle; and a behavior information acquisition unit for acquiring behavior information including an understeer state of the vehicle based on an actual yaw rate, a vehicle velocity, a steering angle, and a vehicle velocity-neutral yaw rate characteristic previously set in the neutral characteristic setting unit. The behavior information acquisition unit acquires behavior information indicating that the vehicle is in an understeer state in a case where a deviation between the actual yaw rate and a neutral yaw rate based on the vehicle velocity, the steering angle, and the vehicle velocity-neutral yaw rate characteristic exceeds a predetermined deviation threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryota Mose, Norifumi Tamura, Katsuya Matsuzaki, Yuta Okazaki
  • Patent number: 9656653
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a hydraulic brake system for a motor vehicle and a method for the detection of a fault condition of the hydraulic brake system. An electronic control device determines at least one pressure value of the brake fluid of the brake system and at least one volume value of the brake master cylinder associated with the pressure value during an operation of a brake master cylinder. The electronic control device compares the determined pressure value and volume value with at least one pair of pressure-volume reference values for the detection of a fault condition of the brake system, wherein at least two different fault conditions of the brake system can be differentiated based on the comparison. The electronic control device is configured to automatically correct the detected fault condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Svensson, Rudolf Daniels
  • Patent number: 9580056
    Abstract: A target control value of the brake fluid pressure generated in dependence on the braking operation amount is set by using a first coefficient determined in dependence on the vehicle speed in an early phase of a braking operation performed by a vehicle operator and a second coefficient determined in dependence on the braking operation amount and the vehicle speed during a later braking action. The increase in the braking force for the buildup control can be restrained in an early phase of the braking operation so that the onset of deceleration in an early phase of the braking action for the given braking operation can be made gradual in a manner corresponding to the vehicle speed while a favorable buildup control is achieved by increasing the deceleration as the vehicle speed decreases in the course of the braking action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keisuke Ishino, Shuichi Okada, Kohei Akamine, Kunimichi Hatano
  • Patent number: 9573589
    Abstract: An arrangement for improving stability of a vehicle combination including a towing vehicle and at least one towed vehicle, where the at least one towed vehicle includes at least one actively steered axle and/or individual brake on at least one axle, where the towing vehicle and the at least one towed vehicle each includes an arrangement for determining yaw rate for determining the yaw rate of the vehicle and the at least one towed vehicle, where the arrangement further includes a vehicle combination model adapted for determining a desired delay value between the yaw rate of the towing vehicle and the yaw rate of the at least one towed vehicle, where the arrangement is adapted to stabilize the at least one towed vehicle by using the determined yaw rate of the towing vehicle and the desired delay value for the at least one towed vehicle to establish a desired yaw rate for the at least one towed vehicle, and to control the steered axle and/or the individual brake of the at least one towed vehicle such that the d
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB
    Inventors: Kristoffer Tagesson, Leo Laine, Sogol Kharrazi
  • Patent number: 9505401
    Abstract: Disclosed is a driving support apparatus for setting a traveling lane in which a vehicle can travel on the basis of a road marking to indicate a lane boundary or a traveling-prohibited region and performing support by combining steering of the vehicle and deceleration of the vehicle so that the vehicle is allowed to travel in the traveling lane if the vehicle is to be departed from the traveling lane, wherein the steering of the vehicle and the deceleration of the vehicle, which are to be performed when the support is performed so that the vehicle is allowed to travel in the traveling lane, are individually controlled depending on a difference ?Y between a target yaw rate Ytrg and an actual yaw rate Yrea if the actual yaw rate Yrea is smaller than the target yaw rate Ytrg in order not to allow the vehicle to exceed the traveling lane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomonori Akiyama, Shinji Igarashi, Yuki Yoshihama
  • Patent number: 9139056
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicle regulating system is configured to pick up driving state measurement signals from driving state sensors of the vehicle and determine reaction properties of the vehicle wheels from the signals. The control device is configured to also pick up roadway measurement signals of a spectroscopic sensor that is aligned with a roadway surface and determine therefrom the presence and/or properties of a layer of water on the roadway surface. The control device determines tire properties of the tires on the basis of the determined reaction properties of the vehicle wheels and the roadway measurement signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: WABCO GmbH
    Inventors: Karsten Breuer, Thomas Dieckmann
  • Patent number: 9043071
    Abstract: Methods and systems for implementing steering-based scrub braking are described. A computing device or system assisting in the control of a vehicle may be configured to make a determination to reduce a speed of the vehicle or enhance the stability of a vehicle that is traveling in a given direction. The computing device may provide instructions to turn a pair of wheels or any combination of wheels of the vehicle in a direction away from parallel to the given direction in which the vehicle is traveling and in opposite directions to each other so as to reduce the speed of the vehicle. In an example, the computing device may estimate a range to execute speed reduction of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Peter Lombrozo
  • Patent number: 9031759
    Abstract: To improve vehicle stability by starting control based on quicker detection of the possibility that a vehicle state will reach an unstable region. It is detected that a vehicle is in a pre-skid state that is the state prior to when the vehicle reaches an unstable region where skid occurs, and brake force is generated in a rear wheel at an outside of a turn when the pre-skid state is detected. As a result of generating this brake force, load applied to the wheels at the outside of the turn increases and lateral force of the vehicle increases. Thus, it is possible to make it more difficult for skid of the vehicle to occur, and so it is possible to inhibit, in advance, gentle deterioration in vehicle behavior such as slow spin. Accordingly, the possibility that a vehicle state has reached an unstable region can be detected earlier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junya Nagaya, Toshihisa Kato
  • Patent number: 9020744
    Abstract: A method of controlling a three-wheeled vehicle comprises: determining a state of a load sensor associated with a portion of vehicle; selecting a first start mass when the load sensor is in a non-loaded state; selecting a second start mass when the load sensor is in a loaded state; determining at least one vehicle parameter during operation of the vehicle; determining a calculated mass based at least in part on the at least one vehicle parameter; determining an effective mass based at least in part on the calculated mass and a selected one of the first and second start masses; defining an output of an electronic stability system of the vehicle based at least in part on the effective mass; and controlling a stability of the vehicle using the output of the electronic stability system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Bombardier Recreational Products Inc.
    Inventor: Mario Dagenais
  • Publication number: 20150112569
    Abstract: Provided is a longitudinal force control apparatus. A lateral acceleration acquisition section acquires a lateral acceleration along a right-left direction acting on a vehicle. A bank angle acquisition circuit acquires a bank angle of the vehicle. A longitudinal force controller may decrease an absolute value of a longitudinal force at least with respect to a driving wheel of the vehicle based on the acquired lateral acceleration and the bank angle when it is determined that a calculated lateral-skid acceleration is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. The longitudinal force is a sum of forces along a front-rear direction acting on the driving wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hayato YAMANE, Hiroyuki INOUE, Takahiro FUJII, Yoshimichi SEKI
  • Publication number: 20150112568
    Abstract: It is determined whether or not there is a “wheel to be subject to the vehicle stability control, in which a braking force is decreased with respect to a braking force corresponding to the pressing force of the brake pad due to fade or the like” (reduced braking force wheel) during vehicle stability control. When there is a reduced braking force wheel, a “wheel with a highest order of priority determined in advance for wheels for which a braking force needs to be generated in order to enhance the travel stability in the vehicle stability control” (first braking force allocated wheel) is identified among wheels excluding the reduced braking force wheel, and the pressing force of the brake pad of the first braking force allocated wheel is increased based on a lack of the braking force in the reduced braking force wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Atsuto Hirota
  • Patent number: 9008903
    Abstract: The present disclosure presents a wheel diameter variation-detecting device capable of properly detecting relative variation in diameter between a plurality of wheels of a vehicle. The wheel diameter variation-detecting device can detect variation in diameter between a plurality of wheels of a vehicle, can detect rotational speeds of the respective wheels, and can calculate a variation parameter indicative of variation in diameter between the wheels using one of the wheels as a reference wheel, based on a result of comparison between the rotational speed of the reference wheel and that of one of the wheels other than the reference wheel. Further, the wheel diameter variation-detecting device can learn the variation parameter based on a value obtained by averaging a plurality of values of the variation parameter obtained before the detected travelled distance reaches a predetermined distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Kurata, Takahiro Eguchi, Shuichi Fujimoto, Hirohiko Totsuka
  • Patent number: 9002609
    Abstract: A vehicle brake control system includes a regenerative braking control component, a frictional braking control component, a calculating component and a controlling component. The regenerative braking control component controls a regenerative braking device to provide a regenerative braking torque. The frictional braking control component controls a frictional braking device to provide a frictional braking torque. The calculating component calculates a regenerative braking torque filter processing value based on a fluctuation frequency of the regenerative braking torque. The controlling component, during a first condition, operates a motorized power assist control device based on the regenerative braking torque filter processing value, instead of the regenerative braking torque, to moderate the frictional braking torque, such that the regenerative braking torque and the moderated frictional braking torque provide a target braking torque based on a braking operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kensuke Nakamura, Noriaki Fujiki, Keigo Ajiro
  • Patent number: 8989981
    Abstract: There is provided a vehicle drive control system that feels less unnatural and that enables an improvement in safety performance. A vehicle motion control system capable of independently controlling a driving force and a braking force of four wheels comprises: a first mode (G-Vectoring control) in which substantially the same driving force and braking force are generated with respect to left and right wheels among the four wheels based on a longitudinal acceleration/deceleration control command that is coordinated with the vehicle's lateral motion; and a second mode (sideslip prevention control) in which different driving forces and braking forces are generated with respect to the left and right wheels among the four wheels based on a target yaw moment derived from the vehicle's sideslip information, wherein the first mode is selected when the target yaw moment is equal to or less than a pre-defined threshold, and the second mode is selected when the target yaw moment is greater than the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Yamakado, Shinjiro Saito, Atsushi Yokoyama, Junya Takahashi, Tatsuya Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8965609
    Abstract: An electric vehicle is presented. The electric vehicle may include a front motor for driving a front wheel; a rear motor for driving a rear wheel; a target torque determiner for determining a target torque of the front motor and a target torque of the rear motor, based on at least a displacement amount of an accelerator operation member operated by a driver; and a motor controller for controlling the front motor and the rear motor to cause the front motor to output the target torque and the rear motor to output the target torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Izumi Takagi
  • Patent number: 8954260
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for assessing a target proximate a vehicle. A location and a velocity of the target are obtained. The location and the velocity of the target are mapped onto a polar coordinate system via a processor. A likelihood that the vehicle and the target will collide is determined using the mapping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Gandhi, Chad T. Zagorski
  • Patent number: 8930112
    Abstract: A vehicle brake hydraulic pressure control apparatus includes a hydraulic pressure adjusting unit, a split road determining section, a differential pressure control section, and a hydraulic pressure adjusting and driving section. The hydraulic pressure adjusting unit individually adjusts brake fluid pressures acting on wheel brakes for wheels. The split road determining section determines whether road surfaces which the wheels are in contact with constitute a split road. In a state where the split road determining section determines during execution of antilock braking control that the road surfaces constitute the split road, the differential pressure control section determines command pressures for the wheel brakes so that differential pressures between the brake fluid pressures of the right and left wheel brakes are equal to or less than a permissible differential pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Nissin Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Kobayashi, Tomonori Hirose
  • Patent number: 8924121
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a vehicle controller including: a sudden change judgment section that judges whether a change rate of a detected yaw rate is equal to or more than a predetermined value; a normative yaw rate calculator that calculates a normative yaw rate based on a steering angle amount; and a correction section that performs a correction for making a detected lateral acceleration close to a value to be detected at a gravity center of a vehicle, by using: the detected yaw rate when the sudden change judgment section judges that the change rate of the detected yaw rate is less than the predetermined value; and the normative yaw rate instead of the detected yaw rate when the sudden change judgment section judges that the change rate of the detected yaw rate is equal to or more than the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Nissin Kogyo Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Takahiro Nishigaki
  • Patent number: 8924116
    Abstract: A vehicle motion control device providing good trace performance with a simple configuration for performing a rollover prevention control involving suppressing rollover of a vehicle by applying a braking force to a front wheel located on the radially outer of the turning locus and a rear wheel located on the radially outer of the turning locus, comprises a braking control unit configured to restrict the application of the braking force to the front wheel located on the radially outer of the turning locus until a predetermined limit time elapses since the application of the braking force to the rear wheel located on the radially outer of the turning locus is started when the braking force is applied to the front wheel located on the radially outer of the turning locus and the rear wheel located on the radially outer of the turning locus as the rollover prevention control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Yamada, Hideaki Koto
  • Publication number: 20140365097
    Abstract: A vehicle yaw moment control device is basically provided with a steering state detection sensor and a controller. The steering state detection sensor is configured to detect a steered angle speed and a steered angle acceleration of a vehicle. The controller includes a brake force control part that is programmed to calculate a yaw moment controlled variable that is applied to the vehicle based on a signal detected by the steering state detection sensor and applying a brake force difference to left and right vehicle wheels in accordance with the yaw moment controlled variable. The brake force control part is further programmed to output a command to apply a predetermined brake force to a vehicle wheel to which brake force had not been applied upon determining a decrease in the steered angle speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Inventors: Naoteru Kujubu, Kotaro Chiba
  • Patent number: 8897986
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to control unstable behavior of a vehicle body that arises when braking during turning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Bosch Corporation
    Inventors: Shunsaku Ono, Junya Iwatsuki, Takahiro Ogawa, Saiji Suzuta, Mitsuhiro Saito
  • Patent number: 8892311
    Abstract: A front wheel drive motorized vehicle controller comprises: a control signal interface receiving control signals from a user control device indicating at least a demanded forward speed; an acceleration measurement interface, receiving acceleration measurements from at least one vehicle-mounted acceleration sensor, providing a first and second acceleration measurements with respect to first and second axes, the motorized vehicle being configured to be driven in a plane defined by the first and second axes; an acceleration magnitude calculation unit calculating an acceleration magnitude in dependence on the first and second acceleration measurements; a speed modification unit calculating a forward speed reduction factor in dependence on the acceleration magnitude and applying the forward speed reduction factor to the demanded forward speed to produce an applied forward speed; and a motor control unit controlling the speed of the left and right drive wheels in dependence on the applied forward speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Penny & Giles Controls Limited
    Inventor: Jason David Lewis
  • Patent number: 8892305
    Abstract: A motion control device for a vehicle, including a braking means for applying a brake torque to a wheel of the vehicle and maintaining a traveling stability of the vehicle by controlling the braking means, the motion control device for the vehicle, includes a steering angular velocity obtaining means for obtaining a steering angular velocity of the vehicle, a yaw angular acceleration obtaining means for obtaining a yaw angular acceleration of the vehicle, and a control means for controlling the brake torque on the basis of the steering angular velocity and the yaw angular acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yasui, Toshihisa Kato, Toshio Yasutake, Atsushi Ikematsu
  • Patent number: 8892329
    Abstract: A plurality of position data sets representing a plurality of points on a road ahead of a vehicle are acquired, and the degree of curvature of the road at each point is computed. On the basis of the degree of curvature, a constant curvature degree section of a curve is identified, and the degree of curvature and the end position of the constant curvature degree section are determined. In order to cause the vehicle to properly pass through the curve, curve deceleration control is executed on the basis of the actual vehicle speed, a proper vehicle speed determined from the degree of curvature, and the end position of the constant curvature degree section. That is, the curve deceleration control is performed on the basis of the start point of a section of a curve having the maximum degree of curvature and the constant degree of curvature of that section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yasui, Hideaki Koto, Manabu Tanaka, Takayuki Miyajima
  • Patent number: 8886434
    Abstract: A method of stabilizing a vehicle is provided. The vehicle is travelling at a forward speed and a lateral speed, and comprises a lateral acceleration sensor, a yaw sensor adapted to detect an actual yaw rate of the vehicle around a central axis, a steering mechanism adapted to steer the vehicle by a steered yaw rate, and an electronic stability control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Kevin A. O'Dea, Flavio Nardi, Jihan Ryu
  • Patent number: 8886406
    Abstract: A corner unit guidance control system for use with a corner unit that is part of a center pivot irrigation system includes an antenna, a receiver, and a controller. The antenna may be located along a vertical axis through the center of a wheel of the corner unit and may be operable to receive signals from at least one external positional information source. The receiver may be in communication with the antenna and operable to process the signals to produce position data corresponding to a current position of the wheel. The controller may be in communication with the receiver and may be programmed to steer the wheel to a heading corresponding to a difference between the current position of the wheel and a point along the path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Lindsay Corporation
    Inventor: John Grabow
  • Patent number: 8868281
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for assessing understeer for a vehicle having at least one rear wheel and at least one front wheel. Rear wheel speeds are measured from the rear wheels, and front wheel speeds are measured for the front wheels. A determination is made as to the understeer of the vehicle using a comparison of the front wheel speeds and the rear wheel speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Hualin Tan
  • Patent number: 8855885
    Abstract: A device for estimating the state quantity of a skid motion of a vehicle is provided with an element which finds road surface reaction force model values of respective wheels and a skid motion state quantity model value using a vehicle model including a friction characteristic model between the wheels and the road surface, an element which finds the deviation between the lateral acceleration model value generated in a predetermined position of the vehicle by the resultant force of the road surface reaction force model values and the lateral acceleration detected value indicated by the output of an actual lateral acceleration detecting means, and an element which determines, as the estimated value of the skid motion state quantity, a value obtained by adding a value obtained by passing the deviation through a filter having a high-cut characteristic to the skid motion state quantity model value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toru Takenaka
  • Patent number: 8838341
    Abstract: An electric drive steering locking apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention includes an electric motor, a motor driving control unit that allows the motor to perform locking actuation or unlocking actuation, a lower-level microcomputer that outputs an unlocking actuation signal and a locking actuation signal to the motor driving control unit, a first switching unit that electrically connects and disconnects a power supply route from the motor driving control unit to the motor, a checking power supply that applies a predetermined voltage to the electric motor; a switch unit that electrically connects and disconnects the checking power supply and the motor; a first diagnostic unit that outputs a voltage corresponding to an internal resistance of the electric motor; and a motor breakdown determination unit (lower-level microcomputer) that determines a breakdown of the electric motor by the voltage input from the first diagnostic unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: U-Shin Ltd.
    Inventor: Masakazu Kumano
  • Patent number: 8831851
    Abstract: A vehicle including a respective brake for each driven, ground-engaging member that is operable under the control of driven member brake commands generated in a controller, a ground-engaging, steerable member that defines a steering angle, a sensor for generating a steering angle signal that is indicative of the steering angle, a sensor for generating a vehicle speed signal, and a sensor for generating a respective driven member speed signal. The controller is capable of generating driven member brake commands based on steering angle and vehicle speed signals together with a driven member slip estimation signal that is generated from the driven member speed signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Francesco Canuto, Riccardo Morselli, Claudio Fonti
  • Patent number: 8825327
    Abstract: A drive control device for a vehicle includes an additional operation reaction force applying part that is configured to apply an additional operation reaction force to an accelerator pedal depending on the speed of depression of the accelerator pedal and the speed of the vehicle, and a lower limit changing part that is configured to change the lower limit of the speed of depression, above which the additional operation reaction force is applied, depending on the traveling direction of the vehicle. Therefore, the drive control device can apply an additional operation reaction force appropriately depending on the vehicle speed and the speed of depression of the accelerator pedal in each traveling direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenji Kimura
  • Patent number: 8825332
    Abstract: A method is described for stabilizing a vehicle during a braking maneuver, in which the vehicle is steered at the same time. In order to bring the vehicle back again into a controlled state as rapidly as possible, the driving state is monitored with respect to a driving situation in which the wheel slip of the front wheels is greater than a specified threshold value, and besides that, a steering requirement is present. If such a driving situation has been detected, the brake pressure is first reduced at a first front wheel and after that at a second front wheel on the other side of the vehicle, until the wheel start-up pressure is reached. Because of that, the first wheel starts up substantially faster than in response to a simultaneous pressure reduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Philipp Frueh, Rainer Brueggemann
  • Patent number: 8825328
    Abstract: A vehicle comprises a trailer angle detection apparatus and a trailer backup control system coupled to the trailer angle detection apparatus. The trailer angle detection apparatus is configured for outputting a signal generated as a function of an angle between the vehicle and a trailer towably attached to the vehicle. The trailer backup control system includes a jackknife enabling condition detector and a jackknife counter-measures controller. The jackknife counter-measures controller alters a setting of at least one vehicle operating parameter for alleviating an adverse jackknife condition during backing of the trailer by the vehicle when the jackknife enabling condition detector determines that a jackknife enabling condition has been attained at a particular point in time during backing of the trailer by the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, The Regents of The University of Michigan
    Inventors: Matt Y. Rupp, Taehyun Shim, David Dean Smit, Erick Michael Lavoie, Roger Amold Trombley, Thomas Edward Pilutti
  • Patent number: 8818674
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle behavior controller capable of stabilizing a behavior of a vehicle with a high response when an unstable state of the vehicle is judged. The vehicle behavior controller includes: a running state detecting unit for detecting a running state of the vehicle; an unstable state judging unit for judging the unstable state of the vehicle based on the running state; a motor generator connected to an engine of the vehicle, the motor generator operating as a power generator for using an output of a prime mover to generate power and an electric motor for assisting the output of the prime mover; and a control unit for controlling an operation of the motor generator based on r.p.m. of the motor generator, in which the control unit controls the operation of the motor generator to generate braking torque when the unstable state is judged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Nakajima, Masato Mori, Kenichi Akita
  • Patent number: 8818642
    Abstract: A method of triggering an active device of a vehicle at a pre-determined threshold comprises generating a steering wheel signal from steering angle rate of change of steering angle of the vehicle, the signal representing an advance in time in comparison to the steering wheel position and/or speed, and determining a conditioned vehicle lateral acceleration in dependence on the steering wheel signal and a measured vehicle lateral acceleration, the conditioned vehicle lateral acceleration being advanced in time in comparison with the measured vehicle lateral acceleration. An active device of the vehicle is triggered if the conditioned vehicle lateral acceleration exceeds a threshold lateral acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited
    Inventor: Paul Bunker
  • Patent number: 8812212
    Abstract: A system and method for correcting brake knockback in a vehicle disk brake system. Brake knockback can occur when a vehicle is driven through an aggressive turn or in other environments that exert a significant amount of lateral force on the vehicle's wheels. This can cause the rotors to deflect and push brake pistons into retracted positions, where they remain even after the vehicle exits the turn. According to one embodiment, the present method first estimates or predicts brake knockback by using lateral acceleration readings from the vehicle and a brake knockback model, and then corrects brake knockback by generating command signals for a hydraulic pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Charles M. Tomlinson, Steven J. Weber
  • Patent number: 8781686
    Abstract: A vehicle turning behavior control apparatus comprises a controlling section which limits a turning behavior of a vehicle caused by a steering operation, to a limit behavior corresponding to an actual steering speed, by a vehicle speed decrease. The controlling section is configured to determine a modified steering speed in accordance with the actual steering speed, and to determine the limit behavior in accordance with the modified steering speed. The controlling section is further configured to make the modified steering speed higher than the actual steering speed when the actual steering speed decreases during a turning steering for increasing a steering amount. For example, the actual steering speed is used directly as the modified steering speed while the actual steering speed during the turning steering is increasing. While the actual steering speed during the turning steering is decreasing, the modified steering speed higher than the actual steering speed is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Suzuki, Motoaki Hosaka
  • Patent number: 8775045
    Abstract: A rear wheel drive force difference setting gain is multiplied by a basic left-right rear wheel drive force difference steady-state control computation value for achieving a vehicle turning behavior steadily requested by a driver in order to calculate a final left-right rear wheel drive force difference steady-state control amount. The final left-right rear wheel drive force difference steady-state control amount is added to a left-right rear wheel drive force difference transient control amount to obtain left-right rear wheel rear wheel drive force difference. This difference is multiplied by feedback control coefficient to obtain a final rear wheel drive force difference. During an initial stage of turning in which a lateral acceleration is smaller than a turn initial stage determining value, the rear wheel drive force difference setting gain is set to A, which is larger than 1 and increases as the lateral acceleration decreases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yohei Tsushima
  • Patent number: 8768594
    Abstract: A method of controlling travel of a vehicle equipped with an antilock braking system, including the steps of determining potential for one or more wheels to lift off the ground, deactivating the system in respect of the wheels with the lift off potential so the speed of these wheels is not taken into consideration when determining if anti-lock braking is required, applying a low-level test braking force to one or more of the wheels that has the lift off potential, monitoring the speed of the one or more wheels, and if the test braking force causes the wheel speed to fall below a predetermined percentage of the vehicle speed, triggering a stability alarm signal and/or applying a controlled braking force to reduce the vehicle speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Haldex Brake Products Ltd.
    Inventors: Dudley Harrison, James Crawley, Robin Sayce-Jones
  • Patent number: 8762021
    Abstract: A curve information acquisition unit configured to acquire information on a shape of a curvature changing portion of which a radius of curvature changes according to a predetermined function, a driving support unit configured to perform driving support for the driver at the time when the vehicle moves in the curvature changing portion, and a driving support control unit configured to decide timing at which the driving support unit performs driving support, based on the information on the shape of the curvature changing portion acquired by a curvature changing information acquisition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuki Yoshihama
  • Patent number: 8755984
    Abstract: A vehicle comprises a trailer angle detection apparatus and a trailer backup control system. The trailer angle detection apparatus is configured for outputting hitch angle information generated as a function of an angle between the vehicle and a trailer towably attached thereto. The trailer backup control system includes a jackknife enabling condition detector and a jackknife counter-measures controller coupled to the trailer angle detection apparatus. The jackknife enabling condition detector is coupled to the trailer angle detection apparatus for receiving the hitch angle information therefrom and for determining if a jackknife enabling condition has been attained at a particular point in time during backing of the trailer by the vehicle. The jackknife counter-measures controller implements a vehicle speed reducing action in response to the jackknife enabling condition detector determining that the jackknife enabling condition has been attained at the particular point in time during backing of the trailer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, The Regents of the University of Michigan
    Inventors: Matt Y. Rupp, David Dean Smit, Roger Arnold Trombley, Thomas Edward Pilutti, Erick Michael Lavoie, Taehyun Shim