US5948027A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method for enhancing vehicle stability
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
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Filing: 1996-09-06
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Granted: 1999-09-07
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Expires: 2016-09-06
Abstract
Abstract A method of enhancing vehicle stability and response in a vehicle having an active roll control system with front and rear suspensions each including an anti-roll bar, and the control system including a hydraulic system for providing an anti-roll moment which acts on the vehicle by means of hydraulic cylinders connected to the anti-roll bars, includes the following steps: a) determining the vehicle speed; b) determining the steering wheel angle; c) calculating the desired vehicle yaw rate based upon the determined speed and steering wheel angle; d) sensing the actual yaw rate; e) comparing the desired yaw rate to the actual yaw rate; f) increasing the percentage of the anti-roll moment provided to the rear anti-roll bar if the actual yaw rate is less than the desired yaw rate, thereby decreasing understeer, increasing yaw rate, and enhancing vehicle response; and g) increasing the percentage of the anti-roll moment provided to the front anti-roll bar if the actual yaw rate is greater than the desired yaw rate, thereby increasing understeer, decreasing yaw rate, and enhancing vehicle stability. The anti-roll moment distribution is further adjusted for steering precision enhancement.
Inventors
- 👤 John Allen Oliver, Jr.
- 👤 Michael Barry Goran
- 👤 Steven John Ferrari
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 19:55
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60G; B60G17/00; B60G17/015; B60G17/0152; B60G21/00; B60G21/02; B60G21/04; B60G21/05; B60G21/055; B60G21/0551; B60G21/0553; B60G21/0555; B60G2400/00; B60G2400/05; B60G2400/052; B60G2400/0523; B60G2400/10; B60G2400/104; B60G2400/20; B60G2400/204
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
172 words
A method of enhancing vehicle response and stability in a vehicle having an active roll control system with front and rear suspensions each including an anti-roll bar, and the control system being capable of providing an anti-roll moment on the vehicle which may be proportioned between the front and rear anti-roll bars, the method comprising: a) determining the vehicle speed; b) determining the steering wheel angle; c) calculating the desired vehicle yaw rate based upon the determined speed and steering wheel angle; d) sensing the actual yaw rate; e) comparing the desired yaw rate to the actual yaw rate; f) increasing the percentage of the anti-roll moment provided to the rear anti-roll bar if the actual yaw rate is less than the desired yaw rate, thereby decreasing understeer, increasing yaw rate, and enhancing vehicle response; and g) increasing the percentage of the anti-roll moment provided to the front anti-roll bar if the actual yaw rate is greater than the desired yaw rate, thereby increasing understeer, decreasing yaw rate, and enhancing vehicle stability.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
172 words
A method of enhancing vehicle response and stability in a vehicle having an active roll control system with front and rear suspensions each including an anti-roll bar, and the control system being capable of providing an anti-roll moment on the vehicle which may be proportioned between the front and rear anti-roll bars, the method comprising: a) determining the vehicle speed; b) determining the steering wheel angle; c) calculating the desired vehicle yaw rate based upon the determined speed and steering wheel angle; d) sensing the actual yaw rate; e) comparing the desired yaw rate to the actual yaw rate; f) increasing the percentage of the anti-roll moment provided to the rear anti-roll bar if the actual yaw rate is less than the desired yaw rate, thereby decreasing understeer, increasing yaw rate, and enhancing vehicle response; and g) increasing the percentage of the anti-roll moment provided to the front anti-roll bar if the actual yaw rate is greater than the desired yaw rate, thereby increasing understeer, decreasing yaw rate, and enhancing vehicle stability.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
72 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said step of calculating the desired yaw rate comprises implementing the following formula in a closed loop controller: ##EQU2## where r is the desired yaw rate, δ rw is the road wheel angle (which is directly proportional to steering wheel angle), V is the vehicle velocity, L is the wheel base length, K us is the desired understeer coefficient, and g is the acceleration of gravity.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
143 words
A method of enhancing steering precision in a vehicle having an active roll control system with front and rear suspensions each including an anti-roll bar, and the control system being capable of providing an anti-roll moment on the vehicle which may be proportioned between the front and rear anti-roll bars, the method comprising: determining the vehicle speed; determining the steering wheel angle; calculating the desired vehicle yaw rate based upon the determined speed and steering wheel angle; sensing the actual yaw rate; comparing the desired yaw rate to the actual yaw rate to determine a difference therebetween; multiplying the difference by a gain factor to generate an error signal indicative of steering precision adjustment; and adjusting the distribution of anti-roll moment between the front and rear anti-roll bars based upon the error signal, thereby adjusting understeer and yaw rate and enhancing steering precision.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
143 words
A method of enhancing steering precision in a vehicle having an active roll control system with front and rear suspensions each including an anti-roll bar, and the control system being capable of providing an anti-roll moment on the vehicle which may be proportioned between the front and rear anti-roll bars, the method comprising: determining the vehicle speed; determining the steering wheel angle; calculating the desired vehicle yaw rate based upon the determined speed and steering wheel angle; sensing the actual yaw rate; comparing the desired yaw rate to the actual yaw rate to determine a difference therebetween; multiplying the difference by a gain factor to generate an error signal indicative of steering precision adjustment; and adjusting the distribution of anti-roll moment between the front and rear anti-roll bars based upon the error signal, thereby adjusting understeer and yaw rate and enhancing steering precision.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
71 words
The method of claim 3, wherein said step of calculating the desired yaw rate comprises implementing the following formula in a closed loop controller: ##EQU3## where r is the desired yaw rate, δ rw is the road wheel angle (which is directly proportional to steering wheel angle), V is the vehicle velocity, L is the wheel base length, K us is the understeer coefficient, and g is the acceleration of gravity.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
212 words
A method of enhancing vehicle stability and steering precision in a vehicle having an active roll control system with front and rear suspensions each including an anti-roll bar, and the control system being capable of providing an anti-roll moment on the vehicle which may be proportional between the front and rear anti-roll bars, the method comprising: determining the vehicle speed; determining the vehicle steering wheel angle; calculating the desired vehicle yaw rate based upon the determined speed and steering wheel angle; sensing the actual yaw rate; comparing the desired yaw rate to the actual yaw rate to determine a difference therebetween; increasing the percentage of the anti-roll moment provided to the rear anti-roll bar if the actual yaw rate is less than the desired yaw rate, thereby decreasing understeer and increasing yaw rate; increasing the percentage of the anti-roll moment provided to the front anti-roll bar if the actual yaw rate is greater than the desired yaw rate, thereby increasing understeer and decreasing yaw rate; multiplying the difference by a gain factor to generate an error signal indicative of steering precision adjustment; and adjusting the distribution of anti-roll moment between the front and rear anti-roll bars based upon the error signal, thereby further adjusting understeer and yaw rate and enhancing steering precision.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
212 words
A method of enhancing vehicle stability and steering precision in a vehicle having an active roll control system with front and rear suspensions each including an anti-roll bar, and the control system being capable of providing an anti-roll moment on the vehicle which may be proportional between the front and rear anti-roll bars, the method comprising: determining the vehicle speed; determining the vehicle steering wheel angle; calculating the desired vehicle yaw rate based upon the determined speed and steering wheel angle; sensing the actual yaw rate; comparing the desired yaw rate to the actual yaw rate to determine a difference therebetween; increasing the percentage of the anti-roll moment provided to the rear anti-roll bar if the actual yaw rate is less than the desired yaw rate, thereby decreasing understeer and increasing yaw rate; increasing the percentage of the anti-roll moment provided to the front anti-roll bar if the actual yaw rate is greater than the desired yaw rate, thereby increasing understeer and decreasing yaw rate; multiplying the difference by a gain factor to generate an error signal indicative of steering precision adjustment; and adjusting the distribution of anti-roll moment between the front and rear anti-roll bars based upon the error signal, thereby further adjusting understeer and yaw rate and enhancing steering precision.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
71 words
The method of claim 5, wherein said step of calculating the desired yaw rate comprises implementing the following formula in a closed loop controller: ##EQU4## where r is the desired yaw rate, δ rw is the road wheel angle (which is directly proportional to steering wheel angle), V is the vehicle velocity, L is the wheel base length, K us is the understeer coefficient, and g is the acceleration of gravity.
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