Automotive control system employing acceleration sensor and fault detecting system therefor

An automotive activity control system for controlling vehicular driving behaviour affected by accelerations exerted on the vehicular body, comprising:

• a first acceleration sensor for monitoring a first acceleration exerted on the vehicular body in a first direction to produce a first acceleration indicative signal;
• a second acceleration sensor for monitoring a second acceleration exerted on the vehicular body in a second direction which is different from said first direction to produce a second acceleration indicative signal;
• a vehicular driving condition sensor for monitoring a vehicular driving condition for producing a control parameter indicative signal which represents vehicular driving parameters affecting vehicular driving behaviour;
• first means provided for controlling operation of a vehicular component for controlling vehicular driving behaviour according to said first acceleration indicative signal, said second acceleration indicative signal and said control parameter indicative signal, said first means being operable in a first normal control mode and a second fail-safe mode;
• second means receiving said first acceleration indicative signal output from said first acceleration sensor and said second acceleration indicative signal output from said second acceleration sensor for deriving a data value based on the sum of both of said first acceleration indicative signal and said second acceleration indicative signal;
• third means comprising comparing means for comparing said data value with a predetermined reference value for detecting a faulty state of one of said first and second acceleration sensors and command means for commanding said fail-safe mode operation of said first means.

A power train control system for adjusting transmitting output torque of a prime mover of a vehicle distributed to front and rear wheels, comprising:

• a first acceleration sensor for monitoring a first acceleration exerted on the vehicular body in a first direction to produce a first acceleration indicative signal;
• a second acceleration sensor for monitoring a second acceleration exerted on the vehicular body in a second direction which is different from said first direction to produce a second acceleration indicative signal;
• a third sensor for monitoring a preselected vehicle driving parameter representative of a vehicular driving condition as a power train control parameter and for producing a parameter indicative signal;
• first means provided for adjusting distribution rate of said output torque on the basis of at least a selected one of said first and second acceleration indicative signals and said parameter indicative signal, said first means being operable in a first normal control mode and a second fail-safe mode;
• second means receiving said first acceleration indicative signal output from said first acceleration sensor and said second acceleration indicative signal output from said second acceleration sensor for deriving a data value based on the sum of both of said first acceleration indicative signal and said second acceleration indicative signal;
• third means for comparing said data value with a predetermined reference value for detecting faulty state of one of said first and second acceleration sensors for commanding said fail-safe mode operation of said first means.

A power train control system for adjusting transmitting output torque of a prime over of a vehicle distributed to front and rear wheels in cooperation with an anti-skid brake control system, said brake control system adjusting braking pressure in wheel cylinders for controlling wheel slippage during braking operation at a predetermined optimum level, comprising:

• a sensor for monitoring a preselected vehicle driving parameter representative of a vehicular driving condition as a power train control parameter and for producing parameter indicative signals;
• first means provided for adjusting distribution rate of said output torque on the basis of said parameter indicative signals, said first means being operable in a first mode for deriving distribution of said output torque wherein said parameter indicative signals indicate a wheel speed difference between a primary and secondary driving wheels, and a second mode for deriving said distribution ratio of said output torque wherein said parameter indicative signals indicate an engine revolution speed;
• second means for commanding said first mode operation of said first means while the anti-skid brake control is held in inactive state and commanding said second mode operation while said anti-skid brake control system is active;
• and
• a fault detecting system including:
• summing means for summing (i) a first acceleration indicative signal output from said first acceleration sensor and (ii) a second acceleration indicative signal output from said longitudinal acceleration sensor for deriving a data value based on a sum of said first acceleration indicative signal and said second acceleration indicative signal, and
• comparing means for comparing said data value with a predetermined reference value for detecting faulty state of one of said first and second acceleration sensors for producing a faulty state indicative signal.

A power train control system for adjusting transmitting output torque of a prime mover of a vehicle distributed to front and rear wheels in cooperation with an anti-skid brake control system, said brake control system adjusting braking pressure in wheel cylinders for controlling wheel slippage during braking operation at a predetermined optimum level, comprising:

• a sensor for monitoring a preselected vehicle driving parameter representative of a vehicular driving condition as a power train control parameter and for producing parameter indicative signals;
• first means provided for adjusting distribution rate of said output torque on the basis of said parameter indicative signals, said first means being operable in a first mode for deriving distribution of said output torque wherein said parameter indicative signals indicate a wheel speed difference between a primary and secondary driving wheels, and a second mode for deriving said distribution ratio of said output torque wherein said parameter indicative signals indicate an engine revolution speed;
• second means for commanding said first mode operation of said first means while the anti-skid brake control is held in inactive state and commanding said second mode operation while said anti-skid brake control system is active;
• and
• a fault detecting system including:
• third means for receiving (i) a first acceleration indicative signal output from said first acceleration sensor and (ii) a second acceleration indicative signal output from said longitudinal acceleration sensor for deriving a data value by deriving the sum of the squares of the respective first and second acceleration indicative signal values and deriving the square root of said sum, and
• fourth means for comparing said data value with a predetermined reference value for detecting faulty state of one of said first and second acceleration sensors for producing a faulty state indicative signal.