On Split Coefficient Surface (u) Patents (Class 701/73)
  • Patent number: 11427253
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for collision avoidance for a host vehicle, the method comprising: detecting a target in the vicinity of the vehicle; determining that the host vehicle is travelling on a collision course with the target; detecting a user initiated steering action for steering the vehicle towards one side of the target; determining a degree of understeering of the host vehicle; when the degree of understeering exceeds a first understeering threshold, controlling a steering control system of the vehicle to counteract the user initiated steering action to thereby reduce the degree of understeering. The invention further relates to an evasive steering system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation
    Inventors: Mikael Riikonen, Derong Yang, Martin Idegren, Mats Jonasson, Rickard Nilsson
  • Patent number: 10124809
    Abstract: A method, arrangement and system are described for estimating one or more vehicle cornering stiffness parameters (cf, cr) in a linear vehicle operating region. The method includes reading sensor data representative of at least vehicle (1) longitudinal velocity (vx), vehicle lateral acceleration (ay), vehicle yaw rate (?z) and vehicle steering angle (?), determining from the read sensor data if the cornering stiffness parameters (cf, cr) are observable, and if so providing an estimate of the cornering stiffness parameters (cf, cr) using a bicycle model that includes a model of tire relaxation dynamics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation
    Inventors: Mikael Thor, Tony Gustafsson
  • 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
  • Patent number: 8997919
    Abstract: A motor-driven steering controller for controlling a steering wheel of a vehicle. The controller includes a steering torque controlling unit, a braking force estimating unit, a right and left braking force difference estimating unit and an assist steering torque providing unit. The steering torque controlling unit controls a steering torque on the steering wheel depending on a steering operation. The braking force estimating unit estimates braking forces to be imposed on wheels of the vehicle. The right and left braking force difference estimating unit estimates difference between the braking forces to be imposed on the right and left wheels each estimated by the braking forces estimating unit. The assist steering torque providing unit provides an assist steering torque for the steering torque controlling unit on the basis of the difference in braking force between right and left wheels estimated by the right and left braking force difference estimating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Jtekt Corporation, Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yasui, Wataru Tanaka, Yuji Muragishi, Eiichi Ono, Katsuhiro Asano, Minekazu Momiyama, Hiroaki Kato, Kenji Asano
  • Patent number: 8914213
    Abstract: A computer program product, a method and an apparatus for detection of road surface friction coefficient for vehicle stability control are disclosed. The computer program product comprises stored instructions for receiving detected vehicle parameters from a vehicle; calculating a lookup value based on the detected vehicle parameters, the calculating comprising an recursive least square estimation; retrieving a road surface friction coefficient from a lookup table by matching the calculated lookup value to the road surface friction coefficient stored in the lookup table; calculating adjustments to the vehicle using the road surface friction coefficient; and outputting the adjustments to a vehicle control system for execution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Christian Thomas Chimner, John Allen Grogg
  • Patent number: 8868310
    Abstract: A computer program product, a method and an apparatus for detection of road surface friction coefficient for vehicle stability control are disclosed. The computer program product comprises stored instructions for receiving detected vehicle parameters from a vehicle; calculating a lookup value based on the detected vehicle parameters, the calculating comprising an recursive least square estimation; retrieving a road surface friction coefficient from a lookup table by matching the calculated lookup value to the road surface friction coefficient stored in the lookup table; calculating adjustments to the vehicle using the road surface friction coefficient; and outputting the adjustments to a vehicle control system for execution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Christian Thomas Chimner, John Allen Grogg
  • Patent number: 8838355
    Abstract: An operation quantity detector detects an operation quantity. Hydraulic passage systems provide connection between hydraulic chambers of a tandem type master cylinder and wheel cylinders. A hydraulic pressure source in the hydraulic passages can pressurize the hydraulic passages based on the operation quantity. Cutoff valves each is installed in each of the hydraulic passages, between the master cylinder and the hydraulic pressure source. The hydraulic pressure detectors detect hydraulic pressures of the hydraulic passages. In the opening command state, a first mutual diagnosis based on the hydraulic pressures and the operation quantity and a second mutual diagnosis based on the hydraulic pressures are performed. In the closing command state, the first and second mutual diagnoses are performed. A failure is detected in the cutoff valves and the hydraulic pressure detecting units based on results of the first and second mutual diagnoses in the opening closing command states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuki Ito
  • Patent number: 8838357
    Abstract: Disclosed is a braking force distribution control device for a vehicle which has a braking apparatus capable of individually controlling braking forces of the wheels as required. Front or rear wheels having higher braking force sharing rate being referred to control reference wheels and the front or rear wheels having lower braking force sharing rate are referred to control object wheels. A difference value between braking slip index values of the left and right wheels of said control object wheels is referred to a reference difference value. A braking force distribution control is executed on the control object wheels so that the magnitude relationship in wheel speeds of the left and right wheels of the control object wheels is converse to that of the left and right wheels of the control reference wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshinori Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8831852
    Abstract: In an integrated controller for a vehicle, a main control unit determines whether a road ahead is a split-? road based on captured images obtained by left and right CCD cameras, and, if so, increases a braking intervention distance correction gain for correcting braking intervention distances set by a collision prevention control unit. The collision prevention control unit performs collision prevention control at a brake timing earlier than usual using the braking intervention distances corrected by the correction gain. Furthermore, when the road ahead is determined to be a split-? road, the main control unit decreases a target torque correction gain for correcting a target torque set by an engine control unit to prevent the vehicle from becoming unstable as a result of a yaw moment acting on the vehicle generated by a generated driving force due to a difference in friction coefficient ? between left and right road surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masayuki Yajima, Tasuku Maruyama
  • Patent number: 8775040
    Abstract: A vehicle control system obtains an index indicating a running condition of a vehicle on the basis of a vehicle parameter indicating a motion of the vehicle and then sets a running characteristic of the vehicle in accordance with the index. The vehicle control system includes a noise reduction unit that is configured to obtain the index on the basis of the vehicle parameter of which a fluctuating component that fluctuates because of a driver's driving operation or the influence of a running road surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shin Noumura, Ken Koibuchi, Keisuke Takeuchi, Toshio Tanahashi, Hiroyuki Hanamura, Yoji Takanami, Norimi Asahara, Kaiji Itabashi
  • Patent number: 8751125
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes an accelerator-manipulated-amount detecting section configured to detect a manipulated amount of accelerator; a braking-force generating section configured to generate a braking force of the vehicle; a driving-force generating section configured to generate a driving force of the vehicle; a control unit including a vehicle-body speed calculating section configured to calculate an actual vehicle-body speed. The control unit is configured to perform a normal control mode which generates a driving force corresponding to the accelerator manipulated amount, and to perform a speed control mode which calculates a target vehicle-body speed based on the accelerator manipulated amount and which controls the braking-force generating section and the driving-force generating section so as to bring the actual vehicle-body speed closer to the target vehicle-body speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazunori Ozaki
  • Patent number: 8718914
    Abstract: Disclosed is a device and method of providing a driver with eco-driving information. More specifically, the disclosed method and device induces a driver to operate a vehicle in an eco-friendly manner by computing for and displaying to the driver a fuel efficiency oriented vehicle speed that maximizes the vehicle's driving distance based on the vehicle's current weight and electrical load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Jae Woong Kim, Jae Hyun Park, Joon Hyung Park, Sang Hun Kim
  • Publication number: 20140114547
    Abstract: A computer program product, a method and an apparatus for detection of road surface friction coefficient for vehicle stability control are disclosed. The computer program product comprises stored instructions for receiving detected vehicle parameters from a vehicle; calculating a lookup value based on the detected vehicle parameters, the calculating comprising an recursive least square estimation; retrieving a road surface friction coefficient from a lookup table by matching the calculated lookup value to the road surface friction coefficient stored in the lookup table; calculating adjustments to the vehicle using the road surface friction coefficient; and outputting the adjustments to a vehicle control system for execution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Christian Thomas Chimner, John Allen Grogg
  • Patent number: 8660769
    Abstract: A vehicle motion control system which is to be installed on a vehicle having a single front wheel, a right wheel and a left wheel. The control system includes: (a) a front-wheel steering device configured to steer the front wheel; (b) a braking device configured to apply a braking force to each of the wheels; and (c) a controlling device including a braking-force controlling portion configured to control the braking force that is to be applied to each of the wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuichi Onoda, Yutaka Ohnuma
  • Patent number: 8630795
    Abstract: Method and arrangement for setting a speed limit for vehicle travelling on a road includes monitoring conditions of the road, determining a speed limit for travel of vehicles on the road based on the monitored conditions, and transmitting the determined speed limit to the vehicles to thereby notify operators of the vehicles of the determined speed limit. Monitoring conditions of the road may entail monitoring weather conditions around the road, monitoring visibility for operators of the vehicles on the roads, monitoring traffic on the road, monitoring accidents on the road or emergency situations of vehicles on the road and/or monitoring the speed of vehicles travelling on the road and a distance between adjacent vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC
    Inventors: David S. Breed, Wendell C. Johnson, Wilbur E. DuVall
  • Patent number: 8577588
    Abstract: A vehicle comprising a seat defining a driver seat portion and a passenger seat portion, an electronic stability system, adapted to receive inputs from a load sensor, a wheel rotation sensor and a lateral acceleration sensor, the electronic stability system adapted to provide outputs to at least one of the brake system for braking the vehicle, and the engine control unit to change the power output transmitted to the wheels by the engine, the electronic stability system using a first calibration to determine the outputs when the load sensor is in a non-loaded state and a second calibration to determine the outputs when the load sensor is in a loaded state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Bombardier Recreational Products Inc.
    Inventor: Mario Dagenais
  • Patent number: 8571732
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle skid control device that avoids a skid erroneous judgment in a high revolution range of a motor. The vehicle skid control device detects the number of revolutions of the motor. When the number of revolutions of the motor is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold value Nm, the vehicle skid control device prohibits a skid judgment. When the number of revolutions of the motor is smaller than the predetermined threshold value Nm, the vehicle skid control device permits the skid judgment. When the number of revolutions of the motor is equal to or larger than the threshold value Nm, the skid judgment is prohibited. Accordingly, it is possible to avoid the skid erroneous judgment in the high revolution range with the number of revolutions equal to or larger than Nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Michio Yoshida, Kenji Umayahara, Tomoyuki Nishida
  • Publication number: 20130245909
    Abstract: A vehicle brake hydraulic pressure control apparatus includes an adding section and a control differential pressure setting section. The adding section adds a feedback differential pressure obtained by executing a PI operation in accordance with a yaw rate deviation which is a difference between a target yaw rate being set to a value at which a vehicle turns to a higher coefficient-of-friction road side and an actual yaw rate and a feedforward differential pressure obtained by adding (i) a differential pressure based on a steering angle and (ii) a differential pressure based on a velocity of a vehicle body and the target yaw rate. The control differential pressure setting section sets a control differential pressure based on a value obtained by the adding section, after a predetermined time elapses since start of differential pressure control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: NISSIN KOGYO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomonori HIROSE, Keisuke WAKIZAKA
  • Patent number: 8532896
    Abstract: A method of and system for detecting absolute acceleration along various axes relative to a desired movement vector while moving relative to a gravity source includes steps of determining a vertical acceleration, perpendicular to the desired movement vector and substantially anti-parallel to a gravitational acceleration due to the gravity source; determining a longitudinal acceleration, parallel to the desired movement vector and to output at vertical acceleration signal and a longitudinal acceleration signal; determining an inclination of the desired movement vector relative to the gravitational acceleration; and processing the vertical acceleration signal, the longitudinal acceleration signal, and the inclination signal to produce an absolute vertical acceleration signal and an absolute longitudinal acceleration signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Vision Works IP Corporation
    Inventors: Alfred S. Braunberger, Beau M. Braunberger
  • Publication number: 20130226429
    Abstract: A braking force control device can control braking forces of the respective wheels of a vehicle, suppresses an increase of the braking force of a first wheel that is a wheel having a relatively large slip amount in a pair of right/left wheels and increases the braking force of a second wheel that is a wheel having a relatively small slip amount. The braking force control device may suppress the increase of the braking force of the first wheel before the friction coefficient of a road surface to the first wheel reaches a peak and when the friction coefficient is in the vicinity of the peak. It is preferable to suppress the increase of the braking force of the first wheel by holding the braking force of the first wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2011
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicants: ADVICS CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Udaka, Noritaka Yamada, Hideyuki Aizawa, Akifumi Doura
  • Publication number: 20130207453
    Abstract: Proposed is a technique for operating a hydraulic motor vehicle brake system in an operating situation which requires the formation of a hydraulic pressure difference at opposite wheel brakes of a vehicle axle. Here, each wheel brake is assigned a first slip regulating valve device for decoupling the respective wheel brake from a hydraulic pressure generator, and a second slip regulating valve device for dissipating hydraulic pressure at the respective wheel brake.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: LUCAS AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventor: Josef Knechtges
  • Publication number: 20130184956
    Abstract: A wheel deceleration calculating sections individually calculate, as negative values, wheel decelerations of front and rear wheels. If, at a time when the antilock braking control for at least one of the right and left front wheels is started or at a time when the antilock braking control for at least one of the right and left rear wheels is started, (i) a maximum value of the wheel decelerations calculated by the wheel deceleration calculating sections is equal to or larger than a first predetermined value and (ii) a difference between the wheel decelerations of the right and left front wheels or the right and left rear wheels which are in an antilock braking control state is equal to or larger than a second predetermined value, a split road determining section determines that road surfaces constitute a split road.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: NISSIN KOGYO CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Nissin Kogyo Co,. Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130184955
    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: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: NISSIN KOGYO CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Nissin Kogyo Co., Ltd.
  • Patent number: 8483926
    Abstract: Apparatus for estimating a ground contact surface gripping characteristic of a vehicle wheel of a vehicle comprises an input section and an output section. The input section sets an input representing a ratio of a wheel force acting on the vehicle wheel in the ground contact surface, and a wheel slipping degree of the vehicle wheel. The output section determines, from the input, an output representing a grip characteristic parameter indicative of the gripping characteristic of the vehicle wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuuki Shiozawa, Masaaki Nawano, Hiroshi Mouri, Masatsugu Yokote, Masahiro Kubota, Kenichi Seki
  • Publication number: 20130144500
    Abstract: Disclosed is a braking force distribution control device for a vehicle which has a braking apparatus capable of individually controlling braking forces of the wheels as required. Front or rear wheels having higher braking force sharing rate being referred to control reference wheels and the front or rear wheels having lower braking force sharing rate are referred to control object wheels. A difference value between braking slip index values of the left and right wheels of said control object wheels is referred to a reference difference value. A braking force distribution control is executed on the control object wheels so that the magnitude relationship in wheel speeds of the left and right wheels of the control object wheels is converse to that of the left and right wheels of the control reference wheels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Inventor: Yoshinori Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8437907
    Abstract: In a method for determining a roadway state (STATE) of a roadway on which a vehicle (10) is travelling which has at least one wheel (14) and an acceleration sensor (24) which is assigned to the wheel (14), in order to determine a vertical component of an acceleration of the wheel (14), a characteristic value which is representative of the roadway state (STATE) is determined as a function of a measured signal (AC_VERT) of the acceleration sensor (18).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Ning Bian, Celine Gamulescu, Andreas Mayer, Thomas Schweiger
  • Publication number: 20130103279
    Abstract: One embodiment provides a vehicle brake hydraulic controller including: an antilock braking controlling module configured to perform an antilock braking control in which a brake hydraulic pressure applied to wheel brakes is reduced under the condition that a slip-related amount has reached a pressure reduction threshold value; and a turning judging module configured to judge whether a vehicle is turning based on a steering angle, wherein, when the antilock braking control is performed and in the case that the turning judging module judges that the vehicle is turning, the antilock braking controlling module performs a turning pressure reduction control so as to: change the pressure reduction threshold values to be more easily reached by the slip-related amount than at the time of straight running; and change the pressure reduction amounts to be larger than that at the time of straight running.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: NISSIN KOGYO CO., LTD.
    Inventor: NISSIN KOGYO CO., LTD.
  • Patent number: 8428841
    Abstract: A vehicle motion control device is provided. The vehicle motion control device includes a steering angle deviation calculating unit which calculates a steering angle deviation of the vehicle, a frictional coefficient calculating unit which calculates each of road surface frictional coefficients for a traveling road surface of four wheels; and a pressure increasing and reducing controlling unit which performs a split control including applying a pressure increasing limitation of a pressure increasing control in an anti-skid control to a front wheel at a side of the traveling road surface having higher road surface frictional coefficient between the right and left wheels based on an absolute value of the steering angle deviation such that a pressure increasing gradient in the pressure increasing control is smaller as the absolute value is larger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ken Kudo, Masato Terasaka, Takuo Kitano
  • Patent number: 8392089
    Abstract: A method of estimating the available grip margin of a tire of a vehicle rolling on a ground involves: estimating a quantity Rslip ca, i.e., the ratio of the slip contact area and the total contact area of the tire on the ground; determining, in a signal processing unit, the grip potential used P?,used and/or the available grip margin of the tire P?,avail from the quantity and pre-established data corresponding to the type of the tire, where P?,avail=1?P?,used; and recording in a memory the grip potential used and/or the available grip margin of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: Frederic Spetler
  • Patent number: 8342616
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to reduce an influence of deviation in pressure increasing performance, which would be caused by individual differences of pressure increase valves, so that a desired braking force may be obtained. A moderate pressure increasing operation is carried out for wheel cylinder pressure of a wheel, which is on a high ?-road, wherein a demand differential pressure for a pressure increase valve is set at a first target pressure for a first time period and then switched to a second target pressure for a second time period. The influence of the deviation may be absorbed during the moderate pressure increasing operation, so that a difference of wheel cylinder pressure between front left and front right wheels may be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mototsugu Sawada
  • Patent number: 8340865
    Abstract: The present invention provides a vehicle wheel spin control apparatus that, when it is determined that a wheel spin occurs, reduces engine torque to prevent the wheel spin, including: detecting driving control information and information on the state of a vehicle and determining whether basic conditions required to perform engine torque limit control to prevent the wheel spin are satisfied; when the basic conditions are satisfied, calculating a speed variation and the speed gradient value, and comparing the speed gradient value with a predetermined speed gradient value to determine whether a spin occurs; when it is determined that the spin occurs, using a torque gradient map set according to the current engine torque to perform the engine torque limit control; and when the vehicle speed is reduced by the engine torque limit control and cancellation conditions are satisfied, canceling the engine torque limit control and returning to normal control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Hyungsoo Lee
  • Patent number: 8260535
    Abstract: A vehicle comprising a seat defining a driver seat portion and a passenger seat portion, an electronic stability system, adapted to receive inputs from a load sensor, a wheel rotation sensor and a lateral acceleration sensor, the electronic stability system adapted to provide outputs to at least one of the brake system for braking the vehicle, and the engine control unit to change the power output transmitted to the wheels by the engine, the electronic stability system using a first calibration to determine the outputs when the load sensor is in a non-loaded state and a second calibration to determine the outputs when the load sensor is in a loaded state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Bombardier Recreational Products Inc.
    Inventor: Mario Dagenais
  • Patent number: 8249790
    Abstract: It is predicted whether a spin amount is tending to diverge and a vehicle is tending to become unstable, or the spin amount is tending to converge and the vehicle is tending to become stable. When the convergent tendency is predicted, a correction to reduce the spin amount is performed. As a result, the performance of a braking force control can be made difficult when the spin amount is tending to converge. Thus, it is possible to prevent an anti-spin control from being performed when there is actually no need to perform the anti-spin control, such as when the vehicle posture is correcting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Kato
  • Patent number: 8239111
    Abstract: An driving assist control unit controls actuators such as a front wheel steering device, an accelerator pedal mechanism, an alarm lamp. The control units estimates permissible tire-force being capable of acting on the vehicle tire on the basis of road-surface friction coefficient and ground load of the tire, and then calculates tire-force margin by subtracting current tire-force currently acting on the tire, such as total driving force and lateral force, from the permissible tire-force. The control unit then controls steering reaction force of the front wheel steering device, reaction force of the accelerator pedal, and flashing frequency of the alarm lamp in accordance with the magnitude of the tire-force margin, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koji Matsuno
  • Patent number: 8231183
    Abstract: A traction control method is provided for dynamically maintaining safe driving traction between a tire (12) and a driving surface in a decelerating motor vehicle (10) through a modulated braking device (18, 24). The method monitors the acceleration response of a tire (12) to a torque change induced by modulation of a braking device (18, 24). Observation of the acceleration profile over time is used to determine whether additional braking torque or pressure can be applied without causing the tire (12) to slip. A Traction Reserve value is computed through observing the acceleration trend of the tire (12) over time after a single change in torque, whether that change is accomplished as an increase or a decrease.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies
    Inventor: John Patrick Joyce
  • Patent number: 8224546
    Abstract: A second threshold value which is smaller than a first threshold value is set as a threshold value for starting pressure decrease control of a wheel on a high ? road surface side when a select low control is employed. Then, if a slip ratio of the wheel on the high ? road surface side exceeds the second threshold value, a pressure decrease control in ABS control is started even if the slip ratio of a wheel on a low ? road surface side does not exceed the first threshold value. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the vehicle running state from becoming unstable due to the wheel speed of the wheel on the high ? road surface side from decreasing with respect to the vehicle speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masato Terasaka
  • Patent number: 8219308
    Abstract: An engine-propelled monowheel vehicle comprises two wheels, close together, that circumscribe the remainder of the vehicle. When the vehicle is moving forward, the closely spaced wheels act as a single wheel, and the vehicle turns by leaning the wheels. A single propulsion system provides a drive torque that is shared by the two wheels. A separate steering torque, provided by a steering motor, is added to one wheel while being subtracted from the other wheel, enabling the wheels to rotate in opposite directions for turning the vehicle at zero forward velocity. The vehicle employs attitude sensors, for sensing roll, pitch, and yaw, and an automatic balancing system. A flywheel in the vehicle spins at a high rate around a spin axis, wherein the spin axis is rotatable with respect to the vehicle's frame. The axis angle and flywheel spin speed are continually adjustable to generate torques for automatic balancing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Inventor: Karl F. Leeser
  • Patent number: 8204667
    Abstract: A method for controlling an antilock brake system on a vehicle, the method comprising calculating a prediction of tire normal forces and modifying a brake torque applied to a brake based on the predicted tire normal forces. The prediction of tire normal forces may be calculated using predicted longitudinal forces or estimates of longitudinal forces that are obtained by predicting a master-cylinder pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies
    Inventor: John Patrick Joyce
  • Publication number: 20120078483
    Abstract: In an integrated controller for a vehicle, a main control unit determines whether a road ahead is a split-? road based on captured images obtained by left and right CCD cameras, and, if so, increases a braking intervention distance correction gain for correcting braking intervention distances set by a collision prevention control unit. The collision prevention control unit performs collision prevention control at a brake timing earlier than usual using the braking intervention distances corrected by the correction gain. Furthermore, when the road ahead is determined to be a split-? road, the main control unit decreases a target torque correction gain for correcting a target torque set by an engine control unit to prevent the vehicle from becoming unstable as a result of a yaw moment acting on the vehicle generated by a generated driving force due to a difference in friction coefficient ? between left and right road surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masayuki Yajima, Tasuku Maruyama
  • Patent number: 8126625
    Abstract: A vehicle drive assist apparatus for assisting in driving a vehicle by varying drive torque of wheels that includes: a torque-up mechanism increasing the drive torque; a step detecting mechanism detecting a step that may exist on a road surface in a traveling direction of the vehicle; and a switching mechanism switching a status of control between a first status in which the torque-up mechanism is permitted to operate and a second status in which the torque-up mechanism is restricted to operate, wherein the switching mechanism forms the first status if the step is detected by the step detecting mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasushi Makino, Hideyuki Iwakiri, Yuuichi Kubota, Tomohiko Endo, Yukiko Kawabata, Miyuki Omori, Kiyotaka Moriizumi
  • Patent number: 8116942
    Abstract: A steering angle control apparatus for a vehicle includes a first calculating means calculating a longitudinal force, a second calculating device calculating a longitudinal force difference between at least one of right side wheels and at least one of left side wheels based on the longitudinal force, a third calculating device calculating a contribution rate of front wheels at a steering angle control and a contribution rate of rear wheels at the steering angle control, a fourth calculating device calculating a front wheel correction steering angle and a rear wheel correction steering angle based on the contribution rate of the front wheel, the contribution rate of the rear wheel, and a state quantity including the longitudinal force difference, and a driving device outputting a control command value based on the front wheel correction steering angle and the rear wheel correction steering angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yasui, Hiroaki Aizawa
  • Publication number: 20120029783
    Abstract: A road surface friction coefficient estimating device includes a means which finds a first estimated value Mnsp_estm of an external force to be compared (S102 to S116, S118-2), a means which finds a second estimated value Mnsp_sens (S118-1), and a plurality of increasing/decreasing manipulated variable determining means 34_k, each of which determines the increasing/decreasing manipulated variable ??_k of the friction coefficient estimated value on the basis of the first estimated value Mnsp_estm and the second estimated value Mnsp_sens, and updates the friction coefficient estimated value according to ??_k. The increasing/decreasing manipulated variable determining means 34—1 and 34—2 determine ??—1 and ??—2 according to a deviation in filtering value between the first estimated value and the second estimated value, and the increasing/decreasing manipulated variable determining means 34—3 determines ??—1 according to the deviation between the first estimated value and the second estimated value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toru Takenaka, Hiroyuki Urabe, Yoshihiro Mori
  • Patent number: 8068967
    Abstract: To determine an inhomogeneous roadway in ?-split situation during active ABS control and active yaw torque control (YTC) of a front wheel (HM-wheel) on the high-coefficient-of-friction side, it is arranged that at least the following conditions must be satisfied before the ?-split situation is flagged: a) a front wheel (LM wheel) undergoes ABS control in a pressure reduction phase; a1) the LM front wheel is in the first ABS control cycle; b) the LM front wheel exhibits a deceleration exceeding a defined threshold; c) the locking pressure level of the LM front wheel is lower than a defined threshold; d) the front wheel on the high-coefficient-of-friction side (HM wheel) exhibits a filtered deceleration that is lower than a defined threshold; e) the vehicle deceleration calculated by ABS is lower than a defined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG
    Inventors: Christof Schütz, Yann Andrè, Robert Gutwein
  • Patent number: 8060275
    Abstract: An on-board diagnostic system of a vehicle comprises disabling diagnostic operation, such as a misfire monitor, based on road roughness. In one example, the disabling of the diagnostic operation is based on brake actuation and degradation of an anti-lock braking system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jahan Asgari, Timothy Feldkamp, Craig Stephens, Moses Fridman, Davor Hrovat, Arthur Varady, Mitch McConnell
  • Patent number: 8050839
    Abstract: A vehicle behavior detection apparatus can accurately detect an unstable state of a vehicle without making an incorrect determination even if a travel environment of the vehicle is abnormal. The apparatus includes a road surface reaction torque detecting unit that detects a road surface reaction torque which a tire of the vehicle receives from a road surface, a steering angle detecting unit that detects a steering angle of the vehicle, a vehicle speed detecting unit that detects a speed of the vehicle, a standard road surface reaction torque calculating unit that calculates a standard road surface reaction torque from the steering angle and the vehicle speed, a vehicle behavior state detecting unit that detects the unstable state of the vehicle, and a vehicle behavior detection inhibiting unit that invalidates the vehicle behavior state detecting unit based on the road surface reaction torque and the standard road surface reaction torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Hitosugi, Takanori Matsunaga, Hideyuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8050818
    Abstract: A roll stiffness control apparatus of a vehicle, which includes a controller that estimates a remaining capacity of front wheels to generate a lateral force and a remaining capacity of rear wheels to generate a lateral force, and that sets a roll stiffness distribution ratio between the front wheels and the rear wheels so as to reduce a difference between the remaining capacity of the front wheels to generate a lateral force and the remaining capacity of the rear wheels to generate a lateral force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuichi Mizuta
  • Patent number: 8036793
    Abstract: A steering control system is provided for a vehicle with a steered wheel. The vehicle includes a control member that maneuvers within a range between leftward and rightward stops, and that delivers a requested steering signal. The steering control system includes: an actuator that acts on a steering angle of a steered wheel, and a controller that determines a control angle for controlling the actuator to steer the vehicle. The controller includes: a first unit that determines, according to the vehicle's speed and a parameter characteristic of the vehicle's equilibrium, a maximum steering angle on a steered wheel of an equivalent bicycle model of the vehicle, a second unit that determines a gearing-down ratio according to the range of the control member and the maximum steering angle, and a third unit that determines a steering angle according to the gearing-down ratio and the requested steering signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche Et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Thierry Auguet, Marc Sebe
  • Patent number: 8024091
    Abstract: An FB distribution rule 20 determines an actual vehicle actuator operation control input and a vehicle model operation control input such that a difference between a reference state amount determined by a vehicle model 16 and an actual state amount of an actual vehicle 1 (a state amount error) approximates to zero, and the control inputs are used to operate an actuator device 3 of the actual vehicle 1 and the vehicle model 16. In the FB distribution law 20, when an actual vehicle feedback required amount based on the state amount error exists in a dead zone, then an actual vehicle actuator operation control input is determined by using the required amount as a predetermined value. A vehicle model manipulated variable control input is determined such that a state amount error is brought close to zero, independently of whether an actual vehicle feedback required amount exists in a dead zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Takenaka, Takayuki Toyoshima, Hiroyuki Urabe, Hiroshi Kono
  • Patent number: 7917272
    Abstract: In deceleration control apparatus and method for an automotive vehicle, a deceleration control is performed in accordance with a turning travel situation of the vehicle; and an engine throttle opening angle is controlled gradually in a closure direction at a preset variation degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Suzuki, Genpei Naitou, Shinji Matsumoto, Tomohiro Jimbo
  • Patent number: 7860623
    Abstract: A process for increasing the stability of a vehicle upon acceleration on a roadway with a non-homogenous coefficient of friction, whereby a drive wheel is acted on by a braking force on a side with a low coefficient of friction by means of a drive slip regulation. A value (pASR) is determined which corresponds to the braking force (FB,ASR) set by the drive slip regulation (ASR). The value determined (pASR) is used for the determination of a disrupting yaw momentum (MZ), and a control portion (??Z) of a supplemental steering angle (??) is determined in dependence on the disrupting yaw momentum (MZ). An apparatus for the implementation of the process is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. oHG
    Inventors: Urs Bauer, Georg Roll, Schahrad Schafiyha, Stephan Capellaro, Michael Gille, Matthias Muntu