Vehicle Wind Compensation Control for Sustained Crosswinds and Gusts

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicular control systems struggle to effectively adapt to sustained wind levels and wind gusts, which can impair vehicle control and safety.

Innovation Solution

A system and method for vehicle control adaptation that utilizes a controller within the vehicle to receive wind data inputs and vehicle measurement data, determining wind impact and compensating through feedforward and feedback controls to maintain vehicle stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a single control approach is used for all wind conditions, then the control system is simple, but it cannot effectively adapt to both sustained winds and wind gusts

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewind condition adaptabilityVSAvoidcontrol system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control system is segmented into two distinct control pathways: feedforward control for sustained winds and feedback control for wind gusts. This segmentation allows each control method to be optimized for its specific wind condition type, improving overall adaptability while maintaining manageable complexity through specialized subsystems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The control system dynamically switches between feedforward and feedback control modes based on the detected wind condition type. The controller adapts its control strategy in real-time, transitioning from feedforward for predictable sustained winds to feedback for unpredictable wind gusts, enhancing versatility without requiring a completely separate system for each condition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If feedforward control is used for sustained winds, then compensation for predictable wind is effective, but it cannot handle unpredictable wind gusts

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesustained wind compensationVSAvoidwind gust impact

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A feedback control mechanism is implemented specifically for wind gust compensation. The system continuously monitors vehicle motion parameters (lateral acceleration, yaw rate) and adjusts steering input in real-time to counteract unpredictable wind gusts, ensuring reliable protection against high-frequency disturbances that feedforward control cannot address.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The controller acts as an intermediary that receives inputs from both feedforward and feedback control pathways. It processes and combines the outputs from both control methods, mediating between the predictable sustained wind compensation and unpredictable wind gust rejection to produce a unified steering control signal.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If feedback control is used for wind gusts, then suppression of high bandwidth disturbances is achieved, but it increases control bandwidth requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewind gust suppressionVSAvoidcontrol bandwidth

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The control bandwidth is segmented into two ranges: low bandwidth for sustained wind compensation via feedforward control and high bandwidth for wind gust suppression via feedback control. This segmentation allows the feedback controller to focus specifically on high-frequency disturbances without needing to handle the entire frequency spectrum, managing bandwidth requirements more efficiently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The feedback control applies partial action by focusing only on the high-frequency wind gust component rather than attempting to control all wind disturbances. This targeted approach suppresses harmful wind gust effects while avoiding the excessive bandwidth requirements that would result from trying to control the full range of wind conditions with a single feedback loop.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS12325477B2Vehicle control adaptation to sustained wind levels and gusts

Publication Date: 2025.06.10 GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

AI summary

A system and method for a vehicle control adaptation to a crosswind and a wind gust including a controller situated within a vehicle to receive wind data inputs. The wind data inputs are based on a location of the vehicle and include a sustained wind velocity, a sustained wind direction, and a wind gust level. The controller further receives vehicle measurement data from one or more sensors situated within the vehicle and determines a wind impact on the vehicle based on the wind data inputs and the vehicle measurement data. The controller further compensates for the wind impact by a feedforward control in response to a low bandwidth component of the wind data inputs and by a feedback control in response to a high bandwidth component of the wind data inputs. The controller generates a feedback and/or a control based on the wind impact.