Patent ID: 7894955
Filing Date: 2011-02-22
Classification: B60G,B60T,B60W

Abstract:
1. A method for detecting a potential for a vehicle rollover event, the method comprising the steps of: determining a lateral kinetic energy of the vehicle based on vehicle longitudinal velocity and vehicle side slip angle; measuring a lateral acceleration of the vehicle; measuring a tire load; determining a rollover potentiality index based on the lateral kinetic energy and the lateral acceleration; determining a rollover index by weighting the rollover potentiality index by a factor of the lateral acceleration and a factor of the tire load; determining if the rollover index is above a predetermined threshold; and outputting an indication based on the above-determined indexes to a controller adapted to provide a control action in response thereto; wherein the measured tire load, which is used in determining the rollover index, is determined by measuring a length of a contact patch of a vehicle tire and measuring changes to the contact patch length and; further comprising the step of providing a control signal from a controller configured to output a control signal to a system of the vehicle to implement corrective action to reduce the potential of an actual rollover when the rollover index is above a predetermined threshold.