Patent ID: 6925371
Filing Date: 2005-08-02
Classification: B60T,B60W,B62D

Abstract:
1. A vehicle motion control apparatus comprising: steering factor detection means for detecting at least one of steering factors including a steering torque and steering effort applied to a steering system extending from a steering wheel to a suspension of a vehicle; aligning torque estimation means for estimating an aligning torque produced on at least a wheel of said vehicle on the basis of the steering factor detected by said steering factor detection means; vehicle state variable detection means for detecting a state variable of said vehicle; wheel factor estimation means for estimating at least one of wheel factors including a side force and slip angle applied to said wheel on the basis of the state variable detected by said vehicle state variable detection means; grip factor estimation means for estimating a grip factor of at least a tire of said wheel, which grip factor indicates a grip level of the tire in a lateral direction of the wheel, in accordance with a relationship between the aligning torque estimated by said aligning torque estimation means and the wheel factor estimated by said wheel factor estimation means; first control means for performing a closed loop control on the basis of the grip factor estimated by said grip factor estimation means; and second control means having desired vehicle behavior setting means for setting a desired vehicle behavior on the basis of the state variable detected by said vehicle state variable detection means, and actual vehicle behavior detection means for detecting an actual vehicle behavior of said vehicle, said second control means performing a closed loop control on the basis of a deviation between the actual vehicle behavior detected by said actual vehicle behavior detection means and the desired vehicle behavior set by said desired vehicle behavior setting means.