Patent ID: 8880294

Claim:
A method of controlling stability of a vehicle comprising: monitoring current vehicle information with an electronic control unit for the electronic stability control system; monitoring a plurality of external conditions in a vehicle path of the vehicle and reporting the plurality of external conditions to the electronic control unit; determining an approaching unstable driving condition is likely to occur when the vehicle reaches the location of at least one of the plurality of external conditions in the vehicle path and the current vehicle information with an electronic control unit prior to the occurrence of the unstable driving condition; determining that under the current vehicle conditions that an intervention from the electronic stability control system will be required; sending a first output signal of a first signal series to activate at least one of a visual, auditory and haptic warning for a driver of the vehicle; sending at least a second output signal of the first signal series from the electronic control unit to at least one vehicle system to apply at least one proactive vehicle stability control action prior to the occurrence of the unstable driving condition; applying the at least one proactive vehicle stability control action to alter a current vehicle behavior prior to the vehicle reaching the location of the at least one of the plurality of external conditions; and wherein the sending the at least second output signal and the applying the at least one proactive vehicle stability control action includes: sending a signal to a steering system and applying the at least one proactive vehicle stability control action includes changing a steering angle of the vehicle with the steering system; sending a third output signal to a brake system to pre-charge at least one vehicle brake and applying the brake pre-charge with the brake system; and sending a fourth output signal to the brake system to apply at least one vehicle brake and applying the at least one brake with the brake system.