Vehicle loading condition detection system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10048170-B2
Application number	US-201414526848-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2014
Priority date	Oct 29, 2014
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A system and method estimating a vehicle tire load identifies a change in vehicle loading condition by measuring vibration resonant frequency peaks (bounce mode and/or pitch mode) of the unsprung mass. Signals required include the chassis vertical acceleration and/or chassis pitch rate obtained from commercially available sensors mounted to the vehicle. An observer model receives the inertial signal(s) and generates a dynamic load estimation based upon observed frequency change in the sprung mass natural frequency.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tire load estimation method for a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a tire carried by a hub and supporting a vehicle chassis, wherein the vehicle chassis generates a vibration resonant frequency;
mounting a hub-acceleration sensor to the vehicle;
determining a hub acceleration using the hub-acceleration sensor;
providing an inertial measurement unit mounted to the chassis;
measuring at least one of a chassis vertical acceleration signal and a chassis pitch rate signal with the inertial measurement unit;
electronically communicating the at least one of a chassis vertical acceleration signal and a chassis pitch rate signal to a processor;
providing a static load estimator on the processor;
receiving the at least one of a chassis vertical acceleration signal and a chassis pitch rate signal in the static load estimator and generating an estimated static load;
mounting a pressure sensor to the tire;
measuring an inflation pressure of the tire with the pressure sensor;

electronically communicating the inflation pressure of the tire to the processor;
providing a tire vertical stiffness generator on the processor;
receiving the inflation pressure of the tire in the tire vertical stiffness generator and determining a tire-specific tire vertical stiffness;
providing a tire deflection observer on the processor;
receiving the estimated static load, a chassis vertical acceleration, a hub acceleration and the tire vertical stiffness in the tire deflection observer and calculating a dynamic load;
outputting the calculated dynamic load to at least one of a stability control system, a brake control system and a traction control system in electronic communication with the processor; and
adjusting at least one of the stability control system, brake control system and traction control system as a function of the calculated dynamic load.

2. The tire load estimation method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of mounting a tire-identification device to the tire to make a tire-specific identification.

3. The tire load estimation method according to claim 2 , wherein the step of providing a tire vertical stiffness generator includes providing an accessible tire-specific stiffness database adjusted for the tire inflation pressure based upon the tire-specific identification of a given tire.

4. The tire load estimation method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of providing a tire deflection observer includes a load variation estimator.

5. The tire load estimation method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of estimating a dynamic load on the tire from an observed change in frequency peaks within the vibration resonant frequency of the at least one of a chassis vertical acceleration signal and a chassis pitch rate signal.

6. The tire load estimation method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of providing an inertial measurement unit includes providing a six-axis inertial measurement device.

7. The tire load estimation method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of providing a tire deflection observer includes providing a Kalman filter model.

Assignees

• Goodyear Tire & Rubber

Inventors

• Singh Kanwar Bharat

Classifications

• G01L5/00

  Apparatus for, or methods of, measuring force, work, mechanical power, or torque, specially adapted for specific purposes · CPC title

• G01M17/02 Primary

  Tyres · CPC title

• G01M17/007

  Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles (G01M17/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60C23/0408

  transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver · CPC title