Vehicle Lateral Control Integrating Dynamics and Kinematics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle stability control systems fail to effectively integrate vehicle dynamics and kinematics control, leading to instability on low-friction surfaces and inadequate path tracking due to reliance on driver input and sensor noise, without considering road surface conditions.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle lateral control system that integrates vehicle dynamics and kinematics control by using sensors and a driver interpreter to generate desired vehicle dynamics and predicted paths, with error signals processed to create combined command signals for front-wheel assist steering, rear-wheel assist steering, and differential braking, stabilizing the vehicle and improving path tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If vehicle dynamics and kinematics control are performed separately and independently, then each control system can be designed and implemented independently, but the vehicle may experience instability on low-friction surfaces and inadequate path tracking because the two controls are not coordinated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges vehicle dynamics control and kinematics control into a unified integrated control system. The controller receives inputs from both dynamics sensors (yaw rate, lateral acceleration) and kinematics sensors (path position, velocity) and generates coordinated control commands that simultaneously address both stability and path tracking objectives, eliminating the interference problems of separate independent controls
2Device complexity
If the control system relies solely on driver steering input, then the system is simple to implement, but it cannot reliably identify driver skill level and driving style, leading to inadequate response in panic situations and driver incapacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the controller continuously monitors driver steering input, vehicle response, and path tracking performance. This feedback loop enables the system to adaptively adjust control commands based on actual vehicle behavior and driving conditions, providing reliable response even when driver input is inadequate due to panic or incapacity
3Measurement precision
If the control system uses sensor data for path tracking, then path tracking capability is improved, but sensor noise, slow throughput and environmental disturbances can cause vehicle oscillation and instability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary integrated control algorithm that processes sensor data from multiple sources (kinematics sensors, dynamics sensors) and mediates between the raw sensor inputs and the final control commands. This intermediary processing layer filters noise, compensates for sensor limitations, and generates smooth control commands that avoid oscillation while maintaining accurate path tracking
4Productivity
If the control system is designed for high coefficient of friction surfaces, then optimal path tracking is achieved on such surfaces, but the same control design generates significant vehicle oscillation or instability on low coefficient of friction surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adaptation where the controller continuously adjusts control parameters based on detected road surface conditions. By monitoring vehicle response characteristics and sensor data quality, the system automatically modifies control gains and strategies to match current friction conditions, maintaining optimal performance across varying road surfaces from high-friction asphalt to low-friction ice
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle lateral control system that integrates both vehicle dynamics and kinematics control. The system includes a driver interpreter that provides desired vehicle dynamics and predicted vehicle path based on driver input. Error signals between the desired vehicle dynamics and measured vehicle dynamics, and between the predicted vehicle path and the measured vehicle target path are sent to dynamics and kinematics control processors for generating a separate dynamics and kinematics command signals, respectively, to minimize the errors. The command signals are integrated by a control integration processor to combine the commands to optimize the performance of stabilizing the vehicle and tracking the path. The integrated command signal can be used to control one or more of front wheel assist steering, rear-wheel assist steering or differential braking.