Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Other

Ronald Paul

Stephen R Pastor

Michael Douglas Rizzo

Youssef A Ghoneim

William C Lin

Yuen-Kwok Chin

Hsien Heng Chen

Michael Paul Turski

Douglass L Carson

Duane Edward Bassett

Edward John Bedner

Alan J Lee

Gordon L Tierney

Howard Hans Ludwig

Hong Xing Hu

Edmund Stanley Browalski

Vivek Jaikamal

Edmund S Browalski

Mutasim Abdurrahman Salman

Kevin Austin O'Dea

Donald L Parker

Hualin Tan

Donald E Schenk

David M Sidlosky

Christopher A Kinser

Steven L Tracht

Robert J Hammersmith

Richard A Peden

Scott D Morrison

A method and system, according to one embodiment of the present invention, provide a means to accurately determine the velocity of a vehicle. An initial estimation of the velocity of the vehicle is calculated based on rates of rotation of a plurality of wheels on the vehicles. If any of the wheels on the vehicle are in a brake control, or traction control, situation, the initial estimation is modified based on an acceleration of the vehicle to generate a modified estimation of the velocity of the vehicle.

Method and system for determining the velocity of an automobile

A brake system control for use in a vehicle with four wheels comprising the steps of: determining a desired yaw rate (,); determining a yaw torque command responsive to the desired yaw rate (,); if the vehicle is in an anti-lock braking mode during driver commanded braking, applying the yaw torque command to only one of the four wheels to release brake pressure in said one of the four wheels (,); if the vehicle is in a positive acceleration traction control mode during driver commanded acceleration, applying the yaw torque command to only one of the four wheels to apply brake pressure in said one of the four wheels (,); and if the vehicle is not in the anti-lock braking mode or in the positive acceleration traction control mode, then: (i) determining whether a vehicle brake pedal is depressed (,); (ii) if the vehicle brake pedal is depressed, applying brake force to the vehicle wheels responsive to the depression of the brake pedal (,), wherein the applied brake force is modified to at least two of the vehicle wheels to create a left-right brake torque differential responsive to the yaw torque command.

Brake control system

In a vehicle with an active brake control system a control method comprising to the steps of: determining individual wheel speeds of the vehicle wheels responsive to sensor output signals (,); determining a vehicle reference velocity responsive to the individual wheel speeds (,); measuring vehicle yaw rate (,); determining a delta velocity for each wheel responsive to the individual wheel speed for the wheel and the vehicle reference velocity (,); and when the active brake control system is in the active state for at least one of the wheels, (a) setting a base delta velocity for the one wheel equal to the delta velocity for the one wheel immediately prior to the active brake control obtaining the active state for the one wheel (,); (b) determining a control term responsive to the measured vehicle yaw rate (,), wherein the control term represents a desired delta velocity for the one wheel; (c) setting a first target change in delta velocity responsive to the base delta velocity and the control term (,); and (d) controlling a first wheel brake for the one wheel so that a difference between the delta velocity for the one wheel and the desired delta velocity for the one wheel is minimized (,).

An improved control method that utilizes active brake controls to provide vehicle control during conditions of carriage motion tendency about a longitudinal vehicle axis. Accordingly, the control may be integrated with known active brake controls that regulate yaw rate and/or slip angle or traction controls that regulate front wheel slippage, thereby significantly improving the functionality of the respective control for little or no additional cost. A measure of vehicle carriage motion tendency is determined by computing a control parameter based on the roll angle of the vehicle and the rate of change of roll angle. If the computed control parameter exceeds a first calibrated threshold, a condition of carriage motion tendency is detected and the active brake control actuators are activated to reduce the velocity of the front wheels of the vehicle by a delta velocity command determined as a function of the roll angle and roll angle rate. When the computed control parameter falls below a second calibrated threshold, the delta velocity command is gradually decayed to exit the control.

Active brake balance control method

In a vehicle with a first operating mode in which all vehicle wheels have substantially no lateral movement on a road surface and a second operating mode in which at least some of the vehicle wheels have lateral movement on the road surface, and with an actuator capable of affecting vehicle yaw rate, a vehicle yaw rate control method comprising the steps of: measuring an actual vehicle yaw rate; measuring vehicle steering wheel position; in the second mode of operation, determining a desired yaw rate command linearly responsive to the measured steering wheel position; wherein the actuator is controlled to minimize a difference between the measured vehicle yaw rate and the desired vehicle yaw rate.

Chassis control system

A brake control system method according to the steps of: determining driver commanded yaw rate; measuring actual yaw rate; determining a yaw rate error; determining, in response to vehicle conditions, a yaw rate dead band wherein the yaw rate dead band varies with vehicle conditions; comparing the yaw rate error to the dead band; and if the yaw rate error exceeds the dead band, controlling the vehicle responsive to the yaw rate error, wherein yaw rate control only occurs when the yaw rate error exceeds the dead band.

In a vehicle with first and second front vehicle wheels and third and fourth rear vehicle wheels and at least one member of a first group comprising anti-lock brake control and positive acceleration traction control, a brake control method comprising the steps of: determining a desired vehicle yaw rate; determining an actual vehicle yaw rate; responsive to the desired and actual vehicle yaw rates, determining an axle command; responsive to the desired and actual vehicle yaw rates, determining a torque command; applying the axle command during activation of one of the anti-lock brake control and the positive acceleration traction control to one member of a second group comprising (i) the two front wheels and (ii) the two rear wheels, wherein wheel-to-road traction is increased and a difference between desired vehicle yaw rate and actual vehicle yaw rate is minimized; and applying the torque command to at least one of the vehicle wheels independently of the axle command to create a yaw torque moment on the vehicle body, wherein the difference between the desired vehicle yaw rate and the actual vehicle yaw rate is minimized.

To provide an ABS/TC integration and method of utilization thereof which is an alternative to those previously provided and to maximize the utilization of the actuator in both the ABS and TC functions the present invention is brought forth. The present invention provides an ABS/TC integration with a common actuator which maximizes the operation of the actuator when in either an ABS or TC braking mode.

Combined traction control and anti-lock braking system

A simulator for generating simulated crankshaft angle signals during rotation of an internal combustion engine for use as a backup to a sensor sensing the ring gear teeth is described. A number representing the time in terms of the pulses from a clock for the engine crankshaft to rotate through an angle equal to one-half the angular spacing of the teeth on the ring gear is determined based on the current engine speed. This number is continuously counted by a counter whose output comprises simulated crankshaft angle signals.

Engine crankshaft position sensor

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Detroit, MI, United States of America

Ronald Paul