Integrated control system for stability control of yaw, roll and lateral motion of a driving vehicle using an integrated sensing system to determine longitudinal velocity

1. A method of controlling a vehicle, the method carried out in a controller on the vehicle and comprising the steps of:

determining an acceleration-based longitudinal vehicle velocity using at least an input from a vertical accelerometer, a longitudinal acceleration, a yaw rate, a pitch rate, a lateral velocity and a pitch angle in a moving road frame, the pitch angle in a moving road frame being determined in response to a global pitch angle and a relative pitch angle:

determining a wheel speed-based longitudinal velocity from a plurality of wheel speed sensors;

combining the acceleration-based longitudinal velocity and wheel speed based longitudinal velocity to obtain a final longitudinal velocity; and

controlling a vehicle with the final longitudinal velocity.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining a wheel speed-based longitudinal velocity comprises determining the wheel speed base longitudinal velocity from three wheel speed sensors.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining a wheel speed-based longitudinal velocity comprises determining the wheel speed base longitudinal velocity from four wheel speed sensors.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining a wheel speed-based longitudinal velocity comprises determining the wheel speed-based longitudinal velocity from four wheel speed sensors, a steered wheel angle and a sideslip angle.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining a wheel speed-based longitudinal velocity comprises determining the wheel speed-based longitudinal velocity from four wheel speed sensors, a yaw rate, a steered wheel angle and a sideslip angle.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining an acceleration-based longitudinal vehicle velocity comprises determining an acceleration-based longitudinal vehicle velocity of a rear axle.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining an acceleration-based longitudinal vehicle velocity comprises determining the acceleration-based longitudinal vehicle velocity from a moving road frame longitudinal acceleration.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining the pitch angle in a moving road frame in response to a global pitch angle that is a sensor-frame-based-global pitch angle, a change in global pitch angle and the relative pitch angle.

9. A method of controlling a vehicle, the method carried out in a controller on the vehicle and comprising the steps of:

determining a wheel speed status;

determining a drivetrain mode;

determining an acceleration-based longitudinal vehicle velocity from lateral, longitudinal and vertical components of a sensed acceleration and in response to the wheel speed status and drivetrain mode;

determining a wheel speed-based longitudinal velocity from a plurality of wheel speed sensors;

combining the acceleration-based longitudinal velocity and wheel speed based longitudinal velocity to obtain a final longitudinal velocity; and

controlling a vehicle with the final longitudinal velocity.

10. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the step of determining a wheel speed status comprises a braking or non-braking status.

11. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the step of determining a wheel speed status comprises an accelerating or decelerating status.

12. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the step of determining a wheel speed status comprises a divergent or convergent status.

13. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the step of determining a drive tram mode comprises determining a torque-on-demand mode.

14. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the step of determining a drive train mode comprises determining a rear wheel drive mode.

15. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the step of determining a drive train mode comprises determining a four-wheel drive mode.

16. An integrated control system for stability control of yaw, roll and lateral motion of a vehicle having a sensor set including a lateral acceleration sensor, a longitudinal acceleration sensor, a vertical acceleration sensor, and a plurality of wheel speed sensors, the integrated control system comprising:

a controller;

an acceleration-based longitudinal vehicle velocity derived in the controller from lateral, longitudinal and vertical components of a sensed acceleration;

a wheel speed-based longitudinal velocity derived in the controller from the plurality of wheel speed sensors;

a final longitudinal velocity derived in the controller from a combination of the acceleration-based longitudinal velocity and the wheel speed-based longitudinal velocity, the final longitudinal velocity being used by the controller for stability control.

17. The integrated control system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the acceleration-based longitudinal vehicle velocity further comprises an acceleration-based longitudinal vehicle velocity for a rear axle of the vehicle.

18. The integrated control system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the acceleration-based longitudinal vehicle velocity further comprises a longitudinal vehicle acceleration in a moving road frame for deriving the acceleration-based longitudinal vehicle velocity.

19. The integrated control system as claimed in claim 16 further comprising a yaw rate input and a pitch rate input to the controller for deriving the acceleration-based longitudinal vehicle velocity.

20. The integrated control system as claimed in claim 19 further comprising a lateral velocity input and a pitch angle input to the controller for deriving the acceleration-based longitudinal vehicle velocity.

21. The integrated control system as claimed in claim 20 wherein the lateral velocity input is the lateral velocity at a rear axle.

22. The integrated control system as claimed in claim 20 wherein the pitch angle input is a pitch angle in a moving road frame.

23. The integrated control system as claimed in claim 22 wherein the pitch angle in a moving road frame is determined in the controller in response to a global pitch angle and a relative pitch angle.

24. The integrated control system as claimed in claim 22 wherein the pitch angle in a moving road frame is determined in the controller in response to a sensor-frame-based global pitch angle, a change in global pitch angle and a relative pitch angle.

25. An integrated control system for stability control of yaw, roll and lateral motion of a vehicle comprising:

a controller;

a plurality of wheel speed sensors for determining a wheel speed status input to the controller, the wheel speed status input, being defined as a wheel speed signal that is a correct indication of longitudinal velocity;

a drivetrain mode input to controller that is indicative of a drivetrain mode of the vehicle;

an acceleration-based longitudinal vehicle velocity derived in the controller and based on lateral, longitudinal and vertical components of acceleration, wheel speed status input and drivetrain mode input;

a wheel speed-based longitudinal velocity derived in the controller from the plurality of wheel speed sensors;

a final longitudinal velocity derived in the controller from a combination of the acceleration based longitudinal velocity and the wheel speed-based longitudinal velocity, the final longitudinal velocity being used by the controller for stability control.

26. The integrated control system as claimed in claim 25 wherein the wheel speed status further comprises a a braking wheel speed status or a non-braking wheel speed status.

27. The integrated control system as claimed in claim 25 wherein the wheel speed status further comprises an accelerating wheel speed status or a decelerating wheel speed status.

28. The integrated control system as claimed in claim 25 wherein the drivetrain mode input is indicative of a torque on-demand mode.

29. The integrated control system as claimed in claim 25 wherein the drivetrain mode input is indicative of a rear wheel drive mode.

30. The integrated control system as claimed in claim 25 wherein the drivetrain mode input is indicative of a four-wheel drive mode.