IP Library Granted Patent US 7,620,504
Granted Patent B2
US 7,620,504 · App. 12/213,785 · Granted Nov 17, 2009

Road-surface condition estimating device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,620,504
App. No.
12/213,785
Granted
Nov 17, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

A driving-torque difference value, an inertial-force difference value of the vehicle, and an inertial-force change-amount difference value of the vehicle are calculated. Subsequently, a first determination coefficient by which the inertial-force difference value is to be multiplied or a second determination coefficient by which the driving-torque difference value is to be multiplied is estimated on the basis of a state equation having the inertial-force difference value as a state variable and the driving-torque difference value as an input variable. Subsequently, a road-surface condition is determined on the basis of a comparison between a threshold value and the first determination coefficient or the second determination coefficient.

Claims (17)

1. A road-surface condition estimating device, comprising:

driving-torque detecting means that detects a driving torque of an engine;

longitudinal-acceleration detecting means that detects a longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle;

driving-torque difference-value calculating means that calculates a difference between a currently detected driving torque of the engine and a previously detected driving torque of the engine as a driving-torque difference value;

inertial-force difference-value calculating means that calculates a difference between a current inertial force of the vehicle and a previous inertial force of the vehicle as an inertial-force difference value on the basis of the longitudinal acceleration;

inertial-force change-amount difference-value calculating means that calculates a difference between a current amount of change in inertial force of the vehicle and a previous amount of change in inertial force of the vehicle as an inertial-force change-amount difference value on the basis of the longitudinal acceleration;

determination-coefficient calculating means that calculates at least one of a first determination coefficient and a second determination coefficient on the basis of a state equation related to the inertial-force change-amount difference value, the state equation being formed by adding a first arithmetic term to a second arithmetic term, the first arithmetic term being obtained by multiplying the inertial-force difference value by the first determination coefficient, the second arithmetic term being obtained by multiplying the driving-torque difference value by the second determination coefficient; and

road-surface-condition determining means that determines a road-surface condition on the basis of the at least one of the first determination coefficient and the second determination coefficient.

2. The road-surface condition estimating device according to claims 1 , wherein the road-surface-condition determining means determines the road-surface condition on the basis of the at least one of the determination coefficients by comparing the at least one of the determination coefficients with a determination threshold value that is preliminarily adjustably set in accordance with a vehicle speed.

3. A road-surface condition estimating device, comprising:

driving-torque detecting means that detects a driving torque of an engine;

longitudinal-acceleration detecting means that detects a longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle;

driving-torque difference-value calculating means that calculates a difference between a currently detected driving torque of the engine and a previously detected driving torque of the engine as a driving-torque difference value;

inertial-force difference-value calculating means that calculates a difference between a current inertial force of the vehicle and a previous inertial force of the vehicle as an inertial-force difference value on the basis of the longitudinal acceleration;

determination-coefficient calculating means that calculates at least one of a third determination coefficient and a fourth determination coefficient on the basis of a pulse transfer function related to the inertial-force difference value, the pulse transfer function being formed by adding a first arithmetic term to a second arithmetic term, the first arithmetic term being obtained by multiplying the inertial-force difference value by the third determination coefficient, the second arithmetic term being obtained by multiplying the driving-torque difference value by the fourth determination coefficient; and

road-surface-condition determining means that determines a road-surface condition on the basis of the at least one of the third determination coefficient and the fourth determination coefficient.

4. The road-surface condition estimating device according to claims 3 , wherein the road-surface-condition determining means determines the road-surface condition on the basis of the at least one of the determination coefficients by comparing the at least one of the determination coefficients with a determination threshold value that is preliminarily adjustably set in accordance with a vehicle speed.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Oct 15, 2014
From: FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
To: FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 033989/0220 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 24, 2008
From: OGAWA, HIROSHI
To: FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 021202/0062 →