Enhanced crosswind compensation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9132835-B2
Application number	US-201313957792-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2013
Priority date	Aug 2, 2013
Publication date	Sep 15, 2015
Grant date	Sep 15, 2015

Abstract

A device may estimate crosswind by a vehicle controller according to driver steering inputs indicative of driver intention and crosswind disturbance inputs indicative of a potential crosswind condition. The device may, if the estimated crosswind exceeds a predetermined threshold, utilize the vehicle controller to correct the crosswind condition to reduce vehicle control demand on the driver, the automatic correction including at least one of a steering angle adjustment and suspension stiffness adjustment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
estimating crosswind by a vehicle controller according to driver steering inputs indicative of driver intention and crosswind disturbance inputs indicative of a potential crosswind condition; and
when the estimated crosswind exceeds a predetermined threshold, utilizing the vehicle controller to correct the crosswind condition to reduce vehicle control demand on the driver, the correction including a steering angle adjustment and a suspension stiffness adjustment.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining an offset steering angle proportional to the estimated crosswind force; and
providing the offset steering angle to an active power steering system to make the correction for the detected crosswind condition.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing an indication to a variable roll-stiffness system of the vehicle to tighten the suspension and reduce crosswind-induced roll based on the crosswind effect to make the correction for the detected crosswind condition.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying a first forgetting factor accounting for a rate of change of vehicle uncertainty and a second forgetting factor accounting for a rate of change of crosswind estimation, the first and second forgetting factors accounting for relatively slower-changing vehicle uncertainty and relatively faster-changing crosswinds; and
applying the driver steering inputs and crosswind disturbance inputs to a recursive-least-squares heuristic specialized according to the first and second forgetting factors to estimate crosswind.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
receiving updated driver steering inputs indicative of driver intention and updated crosswind disturbance inputs indicative of a potential crosswind condition; and
applying the updated driver steering inputs and crosswind disturbance inputs to the recursive-least-squares heuristic according to the first and second forgetting factors.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of receiving the driver steering inputs at least in part from a steering wheel sensor, and receiving the crosswind disturbance inputs at least in part from a vehicle yaw rate sensor.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that the crosswind estimation no longer exceeds the predetermined threshold; and
utilize the vehicle controller to reset the corrections.

8. A computing device storing an application executable by a processor of the computing device to provide operations comprising:
estimating crosswind by a vehicle controller according to driver steering inputs indicative of driver intention and crosswind disturbance inputs indicative of a potential crosswind condition; and
when the estimated crosswind exceeds a predetermined threshold, utilizing the vehicle controller to correct the crosswind condition to reduce vehicle control demand on the driver, the correction including a steering angle adjustment and a suspension stiffness adjustment.

9. The computing device of claim 8 , further executing the application to provide operations comprising:
determining an offset steering angle proportional to the estimated crosswind force; and
providing the offset steering angle to the active power steering system to make correction for the detected crosswind condition.

10. The computing device of claim 8 , further executing the application to provide operations comprising providing an indication to a variable roll-stiffness system of the vehicle to tighten the suspension and reduce crosswind-induced roll based on the crosswind effect to make correction for the detected crosswind condition.

11. The computing device of claim 8 , further executing the application to provide operations comprising:
identifying a first forgetting factor accounting for a rate of change of vehicle uncertainty and a second forgetting factor accounting for a rate of change of crosswind estimation, the first and second forgetting factors accounting for relatively slower-changing vehicle uncertainty and relatively faster-changing crosswinds; and
applying the driver steering inputs and crosswind disturbance inputs to a recursive-least-squares heuristic specialized according to the first and second forgetting factors to estimate crosswind.

12. The computing device of claim 11 , further executing the application to provide operations comprising:
receiving updated driver steering inputs indicative of driver intention and updated crosswind disturbance inputs indicative of a potential crosswind condition; and
applying the updated driver steering inputs and crosswind disturbance inputs to the recursive-least-squares heuristic according to the first and second forgetting factors.

13. The computing device of claim 8 , further executing the application to provide operations comprising at least one of receiving the driver steering inputs at least in part from a steering wheel sensor, and receiving the crosswind disturbance inputs at least in part from a vehicle yaw rate sensor.

14. The computing device of claim 8 , further executing the application to provide operations comprising:
determining that the crosswind estimation no longer exceeds the predetermined threshold; and
utilizing the vehicle controller to reset the corrections.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium tangibly embodying computer-executable instructions of a software program, the software program being executable by a processor of a computing device to provide operations comprising:
estimating crosswind by a vehicle controller according to driver steering inputs indicative of driver intention and crosswind disturbance inputs indicative of a potential crosswind condition; and
when the estimated crosswind exceeds a predetermined threshold, utilizing the vehicle controller to correct the crosswind condition to reduce vehicle control demand on the driver, the correction including at least one of a steering angle adjustment and suspension stiffness adjustment.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , the software program being further executable by the processor configured to provide operations comprising:
determining an offset steering angle proportional to the estimated crosswind force; and
providing the offset steering angle to the active power steering system to make correction for the detected crosswind condition.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , the software program being further executable by the processor configured to provide operations comprising providing an indication to a variable roll-stiffness system of the vehicle to tighten the suspension and reduce crosswind-induced roll based on the crosswind effect to make correction for the detected crosswind condition.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , the software program being further executable by the processor configured to provide operations comprising:
identifying a first forgetting factor accounting for a rate of change of vehicle uncertainty and a second forgetting factor accounting for a rate of change of crosswind estimation, the first and second forgetting factors accounting for relatively slower-changing vehicle uncertainty and relatively faster-changing crosswinds; and
applying the driver steering inputs and crosswind disturbance inputs to a recursive-least-squares heuristic specialized according to the first and second forgetting factors to estimate crosswind.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , the software program being fur

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Yang Hsin-Hsiang
• Prakah-Asante Kwaku O
• Lu Jianbo

Classifications

• B60G2800/012

  Rolling condition · CPC title

• B60G2800/9122

  ARS - Anti-Roll System Control · CPC title

• B60G2800/16

  Running · CPC title

• B60G17/0165

  to an external condition, e.g. rough road surface, side wind · CPC title

• B60G2800/96

  ASC - Assisted or power Steering control · CPC title