Nisshinbo Industries, Inc.

Noriyuki Takemasa

Keiji Toyoda

Hiroshi Oshiro

Wataru Ozawa

Susumu Yamada

A method is provided for accurately controlling a vehicle having a mini tire mounted as the spare tire. A short-term correction coefficient and a long-term correction coefficient are computed periodically for the left and right wheels, and a probable lateral acceleration G is computed from the difference between the ratio of the short-term correction coefficient to the long-term correction coefficient for the left and right wheels. A revised probable lateral acceleration G' is computed using the value of the long-term correction coefficient fixed at the point at which the absolute value of the probable lateral acceleration G has exceeded a prescribed value and the most recent short-term correction coefficient, from which a decision is made as to the state of a turn. The most recent long-term correction coefficient is used to make a correction for a mounted mini tire.

Vehicle control method using short-term and long-term correction

A method is provided to detect, without the use of G-sensors, possible cascade locking in a four-wheel drive vehicle equipped with wheel speed sensors. The method measures the speed of each wheel with the respective wheel-speed sensor, and derives an estimated vehicle speed and a front and rear speed difference between the front and rear wheel speeds from the wheel speeds. When the deceleration of the estimated vehicle speed is smaller than a first threshold value and the absolute value of the front and rear speed difference is larger than a second threshold value, and if the change in the speed of the front wheels is smaller than the change in the front and rear speed difference at a time when the absolute value of the difference diminishes, then cascade locking of the four wheels is deemed to be starting.

Cascade locking detection method and antilock brake control method

A method is provided to correct the wheel speed for a vehicle equipped with a mini tire as the spare tire plus a nonvolatile memory device. The presence or absence of a mounted mini tire is detected while the vehicle is moving, and if a mini tire is mounted, the mounting information is stored in the nonvolatile memory. If an antilock control is triggered after the vehicle is restarted and in motion, a correction is made for the mini tire using the mounting information stored in the nonvolatile memory.

Wheel speed correction method that accounts for use of a mini tire

A method of an accurate detection of a spinning vehicle wheel. Observed wheel speeds are derived by measuring the speed of each wheel and the slowest speed is set as the slowest observed wheel speed. A maximum probable wheel speed is derived by multiplying the slowest observed wheel speed by the ratio of the maximum wheel speed to the slowest wheel speed for a given minimum turning radius. The maximum probable wheel speed is compared with an observed wheel speed and if the observed wheel speed is greater, the wheel is deemed to be spinning.

Method for detection of a spinning vehicles wheel

A method is provided to compute the probable body speed of a vehicle equipped with a mini tire as a spare tire, specifically when the mini tire is mounted. The wheel speeds of the four wheels are measured, and if the speed does not satisfy the predetermined formula relating to the wheel base and tread of the vehicle to a wheel speed, then a probable vehicle body speed is derived by the normal method. The speed thus derived is corrected by the diameter of the mini tire to compute a new probable vehicle body speed.

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Hamakita, Japan

Noriyuki Takemasa