Reduced order parameter identification for vehicle rollover control system

1. A method of protecting against rollover in a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting a lateral acceleration of the motor vehicle;

detecting a roll rate of the motor vehicle;

estimating a mass distribution parameter;

generating a revised mass distribution parameter;

generating a tuned mass distribution parameter based on the lateral acceleration, the roll rate, and a comparison between the mass distribution parameter and the revised mass distribution parameter; and

introducing the tuned mass distribution parameter to a rollover stability control system of the motor vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising multiplying the mass distribution parameter with the lateral acceleration of the motor vehicle to define an estimated roll rate, the revised mass distribution parameter being based on the estimated roil rate.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising comparing the roll rate with the estimated roll rate to define an error parameter.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising multiplying the error parameter with the gain of a tuning filter to define the revised mass distribution parameter.

5. A system of protecting against rollover in a vehicle, comprising:

a sensor which measures a lateral acceleration of the vehicle;

a second sensor which measures a roll rate of the vehicle;

a multiplier which multiplies an estimated mass distribution parameter with the lateral acceleration to define an estimated roll rate; and

a comparator which receives information regarding the roll rate, the estimated roll rate, and the estimated mass distribution parameter and generates a tuned mass distribution parameter that is transmitted to a rollover stability control system of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising a second comparator which compares the roll rate with the estimated roll rate to define an error, the information received by the first comparator being based on the error and the estimated mass distribution parameter.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising a tuning filter which multiplies the error with a gain to define a revised mass distribution parameter.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the first comparator compares the revised mass distribution parameter with the estimated distribution parameter to define the tuned mass distribution parameter.