A method and a system for controlling wheel torques of a vehicle (201) to provide a desired vehicle yaw torque during a cornering event. A set of indirect yaw torque parameters (a,k) indicative of the indirect vehicle yaw torque contribution from lateral wheel forces are determined based on the present wheel torque data (PtTq) and the lateral acceleration data (LatAcc) and a model. A required torque for the front axis wheels (202, 204) and a required torque for the rear axis wheels (206, 208) are calculated such that the desired longitudinal wheel torque and the target vehicle yaw (M.sub.zReq) provided, taking into account the set of indirect yaw torque parameters. The calculated torques are applied to the respective individual wheels.

An apparatus for controlling a four-wheel drive vehicle includes a tire friction circle calculator that calculates the size of a tire friction circle of each wheel on the basis of vehicle information including a tire vertical load, a resultant force calculator that calculates the magnitude of a resultant force of tire lateral and longitudinal forces for each wheel, a tire-friction-force usage rate calculator that calculates a tire-friction-force usage rate of each wheel that is the ratio of the magnitude of the resultant force to the size of the tire friction circle, and a driving-braking force adjustment controller that adjusts driving force or braking force applied to each wheel. When the tire-friction-force usage rate of any wheel exceeds a predetermined threshold of less than one, the driving-braking force adjustment controller restrains an increase in the driving force or the braking force of the wheel while increasing the driving force or the braking force of at least one of the other wheels that is selected on the basis of driving operation information indicative of the state of a driving operation by a driver.

A method for a steering control of a vehicle to improve steering restoration when the vehicle escapes from a turn path via acceleration during high-speed turning. The vehicle steering control method includes determining whether or not a vehicle is rapidly accelerating in a high-speed turning state, and providing a restoration compensation torque in a vehicle steering restoration direction using a steering motor when it is determined that the vehicle is rapidly accelerating in the high-speed turning state. In particular, the restoration compensation torque is determined based on a relationship of a steering torque, a wheel speed, a number of revolutions of an engine, and a steering angular speed of the vehicle.

An apparatus for controlling a four-wheel drive vehicle includes a tire friction circle calculator that calculates the size of a tire friction circle of each wheel on the basis of vehicle information including a tire vertical load, a resultant force calculator that calculates the magnitude of a resultant force of tire lateral and longitudinal forces for each wheel, a tire-friction-force usage rate calculator that calculates a tire-friction-force usage rate of each wheel that is the ratio of the magnitude of the resultant force to the size of the tire friction circle, and a driving-braking force adjustment controller that adjusts driving force or braking force applied to each wheel. When the tire-friction-force usage rate of any wheel exceeds a predetermined threshold of less than one, the driving-braking force adjustment controller restrains an increase in the driving force or the braking force of the wheel while increasing the driving force or the braking force of at least one of the other wheels that is selected on the basis of driving operation information indicative of the state of a driving operation by a driver.

A method for operating a vehicle-control-system, including: a) controlling, by a drive-control-system (DCS), a drive motor (DM) driving at least one driven-axle (HA) having first/second drive-wheels (DW), b) driving, via the DM, a differential-gear, between first/second DWs, c) controlling, by a brake-control-system (BCS), a brake-device (BD) having first/second brake-actuators (BA) for first/second DWs, d) providing a steering-brake-function (SBF), with which steering is provided by selectively controlling the first/second BAs of the HA, e) guiding, via a traction-control-system (ASR), an inadmissible drive-slip (DS) at the first/second DWs of the HA to a permissible DS by engaging: e1) in the drive-control of the DM, wherein the DM's drive-power is reduced, and/or by e2) in the BCS of the BD, wherein a DW having inadmissibly great DS, is selectively braked by the first/second DWs; f) dispensing with engagement in the BCS of the ASR BD, when the SBF/ASR is active/activated at the HA.

A method of managing the deceleration of a vehicle. The method comprises receiving a brake command and determining an actual rate of deceleration of the vehicle. The method further comprises monitoring the speed of the vehicle as the vehicle decelerates in response to the brake command. The method still further comprises modifying the amount of brake torque being applied to one or more wheels of the vehicle when the vehicle speed reaches a predetermined threshold, by first decreasing the amount of brake torque being applied and then subsequently increasing the amount of brake torque being applied to bring the vehicle to a standstill. A system for implementing the methodology is also provided.

A method and a system for controlling wheel torques of a vehicle (201) to provide a desired vehicle yaw torque during a cornering event. A set of indirect yaw torque parameters (a,k) indicative of the indirect vehicle yaw torque contribution from lateral wheel forces are determined based on the present wheel torque data (PtTq) and the lateral acceleration data (LatAcc) and a model. A required torque for the front axis wheels (202, 204) and a required torque for the rear axis wheels (206, 208) are calculated such that the desired longitudinal wheel torque and the target vehicle yaw (M.sub.zReq) provided, taking into account the set of indirect yaw torque parameters. The calculated torques are applied to the respective individual wheels.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a device and method for controlling vehicle motion and a vehicle equipped with the device, such that driving force and/or braking force is properly distributed between front wheels and rear wheels so that steering characteristics are made suitable and controllability and stability improve. This device comprises a means for controlling braking and/or driving force distribution between the front wheels and rear wheels of a vehicle such that when the absolute value of lateral acceleration of the vehicle increases, the distribution to the front wheels is made smaller, and when the absolute value of lateral acceleration of the vehicle decreases, the distribution to the front wheels is made larger.

The present disclosure relates to a method for emergency steering of a vehicle in response to a failure of a vehicle steering system, comprising determining a failure of the vehicle steering system, locking a first and a second wheel of a steering axle of said vehicle, such that said first and second wheels of said steering axle of said vehicle are prevented from rotating, and applying a first drive torque to a first wheel and a second different torque to a second wheel, of a non-steering axle of said vehicle, thereby steering the vehicle into a desired direction. The present disclosure further relates to an emergency steering system of a vehicle for steering the vehicle in response to a failure of a vehicle steering system, as well as to a vehicle comprising such a system, and to a computer program for performing the steps of the method.

A vehicle combination comprising a tractor vehicle and a trailer vehicle, each vehicle including wheels on different sides of the vehicle and wheel brakes associated with the wheels. A method for controlling the vehicle combination includes determining a yaw rate difference between a yaw rate of the tractor vehicle and a yaw rate of the trailer vehicle; determining, on the basis of the yaw rate difference, that an orientation of one of the vehicles deviates from an intended travel direction of the vehicle combination; and activating a wheel brake of the vehicle on only one side of the vehicle in order to counter the orientation deviation of the vehicle relative to the intended travel direction.