Method and apparatus for estimating incline and bank angles of a road surface

Patent 5446658 Issued on August 29, 1995. Estimated Expiration Date:

June 22, 2014. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

Roll stabilization system
Patent #: 3977694
Issued on: 08/31/1976
Inventor: Nordstrom

Apparatus for measuring lateral inclination of a roadway with error compensation
Patent #: 4788773
Issued on: 12/06/1988
Inventor: Palsgard , et al.

Vehicle braking system controller/road friction and hill slope tracking system
Patent #: 5043896
Issued on: 08/27/1991
Inventor: Sol

System for control of vehicle suspension
Patent #: 5058017
Issued on: 10/15/1991
Inventor: Adachi, et al.

Road surface friction and hill slope estimator
Patent #: 5132906
Issued on: 07/21/1992
Inventor: Sol, et al.

Doppler-effect vehicle ground-speed detecting apparatus having means for detecting vehicle body inclination
Patent #: 5243564
Issued on: 09/07/1993
Inventor: Ikeda, et al.

Wheel understeer speed control
Patent #: 5258912
Issued on: 11/02/1993
Inventor: Ghoneim, et al.

Method and apparatus for controlling vehicle suspension such that suspension characteristics are changed at a point in time when a vehicle wheel reaches a road surface irregularity detected in front of the vehicle Patent #: 5347457
Issued on: 09/13/1994
Inventor: Tanaka, et al.

Inventors

Assignee

General Motors Corporation

Application

No. 263694 filed on 06/22/1994

US Classes:

701/1, VEHICLE CONTROL, GUIDANCE, OPERATION, OR INDICATION73/104, SURFACE AND CUTTING EDGE TESTING702/154Inclinometer

Examiners

Primary: Teska, Kevin J.
Assistant: Nguyen, Tan T.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Gorbatoff; Timothy G.

International Classes

G01C 009/10
B60T 008/58

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for estimating incline and bank angles of a road surface upon which a front wheel drive vehicle is travelling. Each nondriven rear wheel is equipped with a rotational speed sensor. The vehicle is further equipped with longitudinal and lateral accelerometers mounted to the vehicle chassis above the centerline of the rear axle. Outputs from the speed sensors and accelerometers are fed into a vehicle on-board controller and utilized in computing the incline and bank angles of the road surface. Updated incline and bank angles are maintained in the controller's memory for access by various control systems to alter vehicle attributes for improved handling and operation.