# US 7,610,127 B2 · Vehicle stability monitoring system and method and article of manufacture for determining vehicle stability

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- Number: US 7,610,127 B2
- Document ID: US7610127B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/371,058
- Filed: 2006-03-08
- Published: 2007-09-13
- Granted: 2009-10-27
- Earliest claimed: 2006-03-08
- Assignees: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Siddharth H. D'Silva; Laci J. Jalics; Mark K. Krage
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7610127B2

## CPC

- B60T 8/17551: {determining control parameters related to vehicle stability used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters}
- B60T 8/172: Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters {(B60T8/17551 takes precedence)}
- B60T 2250/03: Vehicle yaw rate
- G07C 5/085: {using electronic data carriers}
- B60T: VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL (electrodynamic brake systems for vehicle, in general B60L; brakes per se, i.e. devices where braking effect occurs, including ultimate brake actuators, F16D); ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES
- G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE

## Abstract

A vehicle stability monitoring system and a method and an article of manufacture for determining vehicle stability are provided. The vehicle stability monitoring system includes a plurality of vehicle sensors generating a plurality of signals. The vehicle stability monitoring system further includes a computer operably communicating with the plurality of vehicle sensors. The computer is configured to calculate a first value indicative of vehicle stability at a first predetermined time based on the plurality of signals.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for determining vehicle stability, comprising:
generating a steering wheel angle value associated with a vehicle, utilizing a steering wheel angle sensor;
generating a lateral acceleration value associated with the vehicle, utilizing a lateral acceleration sensor;
generating a yaw rate value associated with the vehicle, utilizing a yaw rate sensor;
determining a first vector having the steering wheel angle value, the lateral acceleration value, and the yaw rate value, utilizing a computer communicating with the steering wheel angle sensor, the lateral acceleration sensor, and the yaw rate sensor;
determining a normalized data vector based on the steering wheel angle value, the lateral acceleration value, and the yaw rate value, in the first vector, utilizing the computer;
determining a first Mahalanobis distance value based on the normalized data vector and a correlation matrix, utilizing the computer;
generating a first signal to induce a first output device to output a first light indicating a stable vehicle stability condition when the first Mahalanobis distance value is less than or equal to a threshold value, utilizing the computer; and
generating a second signal to induce a second output device to output a second light indicating an unstable vehicle stability condition when the first Mahalanobis distance value is greater than the threshold value, utilizing the computer.

### Claim 2

A vehicle stability monitoring system, comprising:
a steering wheel angle sensor configured to generate a steering wheel angle value associated with a vehicle;
a lateral acceleration sensor configured to generate a lateral acceleration value associated with the vehicle;
a yaw rate sensor configured to generate a yaw rate value associated with the vehicle;
a computer operably communicating with the steering wheel angle sensor, the lateral acceleration sensor, and the yaw rate sensor;
the computer configured to determine a first vector having the steering wheel angle value, the lateral acceleration value, and the yaw rate value;
the computer further configured to determine a normalized data vector based on the steering wheel angle value, the lateral acceleration value, and the yaw rate value, in the first vector;
the computer further configured to determine a first Mahalanobis distance based on the normalized data vector and a correlation matrix; and
the computer further configured to generate a first signal to induce a first output device to output a first light indicating a stable vehicle stability condition when the first Mahalanobis distance value is less than or equal to a threshold value.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The vehicle stability monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the computer is further configured to generate a second signal to induce the first output device to output a second light indicating an unstable vehicle stability condition when the first Mahalanobis distance value is greater than the threshold value.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The vehicle stability monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the computer is further configured to generate a second signal to induce a second output device to output a second light indicating an unstable vehicle stability condition when the first Mahalanobis distance value is greater than the threshold value.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The vehicle stability monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the first output device comprises at least one of an LED or an LCD.

### Claim 6

An article of manufacture, comprising:
a computer storage medium having a computer program encoded therein for determining vehicle stability, the computer storage medium comprising:
code for determining a first vector having a steering wheel angle value associated with a vehicle, a lateral acceleration value associated with the vehicle, and a yaw rate value associated with the vehicle;
code for determining a normalized data vector based on the steering wheel angle value, the lateral acceleration value, and the yaw rate value, in the first vector;
code for determining a first Mahalanobis distance value based on the normalized data vector and a correlation matrix;
code for generating a first signal to induce a first output device to output a first light indicating a stable vehicle stability condition when the first Mahalanobis distance value is less than or equal to a threshold value; and
code for generating a second signal to induce a second output device to output a second light indicating an unstable vehicle stability condition when the first Mahalanobis distance value is greater than the threshold value.