Patent ID: 7125086

Claim:
A vehicle dynamics control system for a four-wheel-drive vehicle employing a brake control system regulating braking forces applied to road wheels independently of each other and a differential mechanism controlling a differential motion between front and rear wheel axles, comprising: a braking-force compensation section that compensates for a braking force of at least one of a first wheel, which is subjected to vehicle dynamics control, and a second wheel to which a transferred braking force substantially corresponding to the braking force applied to the first wheel is transferred from the first wheel through the differential mechanism, to reduce a braking force of the second wheel by an excess of the braking force of the second wheel over a lateral grip limit of the second wheel during the vehicle dynamics control; a turning-behavior state variable detection section that detects a state variable of turning behavior of the vehicle; a control section that controls a braking force applied to each of the road wheels so that the state variable of turning behavior is brought closer to a desired value; a braking-force application device that applies a braking force to each of the road wheels, which is produced by a driver's brake-pedal depression; wherein the braking-force compensation section reduces the braking force of the second wheel, on which the transferred braking force acts, to prevent a sum of the braking force applied to the second wheel, produced by the driver's brake-pedal depression, and the transferred braking force, transferred from the first wheel via the differential mechanism to the second wheel, from exceeding a lateral grip limit of the second wheel, in presence of the driver's brake-pedal depression during the vehicle dynamics control.