Patent ID: 6167357
Filing Date: 2000-12-26
Classification: B60T,G01G

Abstract:
A method of estimating the mass of a vehicle, the vehicle including an internal combustion engine, the engine producing a torque in accordance with a fueling rate provided by a fueling system thereof, the torque being applied to a drive-train coupled to the engine, the drive train including a transmission coupled to the engine having a plurality of engageable gear ratios, a drive axle and a propeller shaft coupling the drive axle to the transmission, the drive axle including at least one wheel for moving the vehicle, the method comprising:(a) periodically determining a vehicle speed and a vehicle push force corresponding to the vehicle speed and storing corresponding vehicle speed and vehicle push force data within a memory portion of a control computer;(b) qualifying a segment of the vehicle speed and push force data; and(c) determining vehicle mass by a recursive least square estimation analysis of the segment of data by defining the vehicle speed as a function of the push force.