Vehicle Rollover Detection via Multi-Sensor Fusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ESP systems inaccurately determine rollover conditions due to sensor errors, leading to unexpected deployment of restraint devices and reduced driving stability.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that combines rate and acceleration sensors to calculate the roll angle using Euler angle conversion, correcting pitch and yaw rates based on threshold values to improve accuracy and prevent false rollover detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the roll angle is calculated by integrating the roll rate from the roll rate sensor, then the rollover condition can be determined, but the calculated roll angle has a large difference from the actual roll angle due to accumulation of sensor errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines data from multiple sensors (acceleration sensor and rate sensor) to calculate the roll angle. The acceleration sensor provides absolute acceleration data while the rate sensor provides angular velocity data. By merging these data sources through coordinate transformation and integration, the system achieves more accurate roll angle calculation that avoids the error accumulation problem of using only the rate sensor.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces coordinate transformation as an intermediary process to convert acceleration data into equivalent angular information. The acceleration sensor data is transformed through a coordinate system conversion process that accounts for vehicle orientation, allowing the acceleration measurements to be integrated with the rate sensor data in a unified reference frame, thereby improving overall measurement accuracy.
2Reliability
If the roll angle is misrecognized due to sensor errors, then the restraint device may be unexpectedly deployed, but this leads to reduced driving stability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the calculated roll angle and roll rate are continuously monitored against threshold values. When the vehicle state approaches critical conditions, the system uses the multi-sensor data fusion to provide accurate feedback for determining whether restraint device deployment is necessary, thereby preventing false deployment that would compromise driving stability.
3Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are combined to improve roll angle accuracy, then the calculation precision improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the sensor system multi-functional by using the same acceleration sensor and rate sensor for multiple purposes: the acceleration sensor provides both longitudinal acceleration data for vehicle dynamics control and lateral acceleration data for roll angle calculation. The rate sensor provides both pitch/yaw rate data and roll rate data. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional dedicated sensors while achieving improved measurement precision.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for determining a rollover condition of a vehicle may include: a rate sensing unit configured to sense one or more rates of a pitch rate PitchRate and a yaw rate YawRate of a vehicle and a roll rate RollRate_IN; an acceleration sensing unit configured to sense horizontal acceleration and vertical acceleration of the vehicle; a conversion unit configured to convert the horizontal acceleration and vertical acceleration into a pitch rate PitchRate_ACC and a yaw rate YawRate_ACC; a combination unit configured to calculate a pitch rate PitchRate_IN and a yaw rate YawRate_IN by combining the one or more rates with the pitch rate PitchRate_ACC and the yaw rate YawRate_ACC; and a determination unit configured to calculate a roll angle RollAngle, and determine whether the vehicle has rolled over, based on the roll rate RollRate_IN and the roll angle RollAngle.