# US 6,725,135 B2 · Vehicle stability operator feedback system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,725,135 B2 - Document ID: US6725135B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 09/963,917 - Filed: 2001-09-26 - Published: 2003-03-27 - Granted: 2004-04-20 - Earliest claimed: 2001-09-26 - Assignees: Stability Dynamics - Inventors: Steve McKeown; Bruce Gilkes; Jon Sheaff - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6725135B2 ## CPC - B60R 16/0233: {Vehicle tilting, overturning or roll over} - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract System for monitoring vehicle operating conditions and parameters and issuing warnings to the operator when a predetermined vehicle status is present. The predetermined vehicle status includes a variety of unsafe driving conditions and is responsive to a changing center of gravity. The warnings include visual, audible and tactile feedback. By way of the tactile feedback, the system can affect the operator's operation of the vehicle to prevent vehicle instability, rollover, loss of vehicle control or other unsafe driving conditions from occurring. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle condition operator feedback comprising: a vehicle operating condition determining apparatus mounted to a vehicle, the determining apparatus determining a plurality of operating conditions, at least one of the plurality of operating conditions being affected by a present center of gravity of the vehicle; a controller which receives an input from the determining apparatus and deduces the presence of a predetermined vehicle status; and an operator feedback apparatus, activated by the controller to indicate the presence of the predetermined vehicle status to the operator of the vehicle based upon the input, the feedback apparatus providing at least one form of feedback comprising at least one of an audible warning, a visual warning, a tactile warning, and vehicle control override; wherein each of the plurality of operating conditions is selected from acceleration, deceleration, steering actuator position, steering rate, wheel angle position, load, brake actuator position, brake fluid pressure, throttle actuator position, engine revolution speed, engine power, engine torque, ground speed, driving wheels differential speed, incline, location, road transponder information, ambient pavement temperature, pavement friction, vehicle roll rate, center of gravity and heading. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller activates the feedback apparatus based upon a comparison of the input to predefined data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller activates the feedback apparatus based upon an algorithm. ### Claim 4 A vehicle stability driver feedback system comprising: a vehicle operating condition sensing apparatus mounted to a vehicle, the sensing apparatus sensing a plurality of operating conditions; a controller which receives an input from the sensing apparatus; and a driver feedback apparatus, activated by the controller to indicate an impending rollover or condition of instability to the driver of a vehicle based upon the input, the feedback apparatus providing at least one form of feedback selected from an audible warning, a visual warning, and a tactile warning; wherein at least one of the plurality of operating conditions is determined on the basis of information acquired from a global positioning system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the controller activates the feedback apparatus based upon a comparison of the input to predefined data. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the controller activates the feedback apparatus based upon an algorithm. ### Claim 7 A vehicle condition operator feedback system comprising: a vehicle operating condition determining means for determining a plurality of operating conditions, at least one of the plurality of operating conditions being affected by a present center of gravity of the vehicle; a control means for deducing the presence of a predetermined vehicle status based upon an operating condition signal received from the determining means; and an operator feedback means for indicating the presence of the predetermined vehicle status to the operator of the vehicle based upon a control signal received from the control means; wherein the control means send the control signal based upon an algorithm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the feedback means provides at least one form of feed back provided by at least one of an audible warning means for providing an audible warning, a visual warning means for providing a visual warning, a tactile warning means for providing a tactile warning, and a vehicle control override means for overriding an operation of a vehicle control mechanism. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the control signal is based upon a comparison of the operating condition signal to predefined data. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the control means send the control signal based upon an algorithm. ### Claim 11 A vehicle condition operator feedback system comprising: a vehicle operating condition determining means for determining a plurality of operating conditions, at least one of the plurality of operating conditions being affected by a present center of gravity of the vehicle; a control means for deducing the presence of a predetermined vehicle status based upon an operating condition signal received from the determining means; and an operator feedback means for indicating the presence of the predetermined vehicle status to the operator of the vehicle based upon a control signal received from the control means; wherein at least one of the plurality of operating conditions is determined on the basis of information acquired from a global positioning system. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the feedback means provides at least one form of feed back provided by at least one of an audible warning means for providing an audible warning, a visual warning means for providing a visual warning, a tactile warning means for providing a tactile warning, and a vehicle control override means for overriding an operation of a vehicle control mechanism. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the control signal is based upon a comparison of the operating condition signal to predefined data. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the control means send the control signal based upon an algorithm. ### Claim 15 A method for alerting an operator to the presence of a predetermined vehicle status in a vehicle, comprising steps of: determining a plurality of operating conditions of a vehicle, at least one of the plurality of operating conditions being affected by a present center of gravity of the vehicle; deducing the presence of predetermined vehicle status based upon the determined plurality of conditions; and indicating to an operator the presence of the predetermined vehicle status; wherein the plurality of operating conditions are selected from acceleration, deceleration, steering acceleration, deceleration, steering actuator position, steering wheel angle position, load, brake actuator position, brake fluid pressure, throttle actuator position, engine revolution speed, engine power, engine torque, ground speed, driving wheels differential speed, incline, location, road transponder information, ambient pavement temperature, pavement friction, vehicle roll rate, center of gravity and heading. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the step of deducing includes a comparison of the input to predefined data. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the step of deducing includes the use of an algorithm. ### Claim 18 A method for alerting an operator to the presence of a predetermined vehicle status in a vehicle, comprising steps of: determining a plurality of operating conditions of a vehicle, at least one of the plurality of operating conditions being affected by a present center of gravity of the vehicle; deducing the presence of predetermined vehicle status based upon the determined plurality of conditions; and indicating to an operator the presence of the predetermined vehicle status; wherein at least one of the plurality of operating conditions is determined on the basis of information acquired from a global positioning system. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the step of deducing includes a comparison of the input to predefined data. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the step of deducing includes the use of an algorithm.