Central tire inflation system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10099518-B2
Application number	US-201515312410-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2015
Priority date	May 20, 2014
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

A processor for controlling operation of a central tire inflation system. The processor controls the central tire inflation system to inflate a vehicle tire from a current tire pressure to a target tire pressure. The processor is configured to generate one or more output signals to cause the central tire inflation system to supply compressed air to inflate the tire from said current tire pressure to the target tire pressure in at least first and second stages. In the first stage, the central tire inflation system supplies compressed air to inflate the tire from the current tire pressure to an intermediate tire pressure. In the second stage, the central tire inflation system supplies compressed air to inflate the tire from the intermediate tire pressure to the target tire pressure. The first and second stages of the inflation are discrete from each other.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A processor for controlling operation of a central tire inflation system to inflate each of a plurality of tires of a vehicle from a current tire pressure to a target tire pressure, the tires being provided on a front axle and a rear axle, said processor being configured to generate one or more output signals to cause the central tire inflation system to supply compressed air to inflate each tire from said current tire pressure to said target tire pressure in at least first and second stages; the processor being configured to control the central tire inflation system to supply compressed air to each tire during said first stage to inflate the tire from said current tire pressure to an intermediate tire pressure; and to supply compressed air to said tire during said second stage to inflate the tire from said intermediate tire pressure to said target tire pressure; wherein said first and second stages are discrete from each other; wherein the processor is configured to control the central tire inflation system to implement a staggered tire inflation strategy whereby each tire on the rear axle is inflated to the target tire pressure before each tire on the front axle are inflated to the target tire pressure.

2. A processor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to control the central tire inflation system to implement the staggered tire inflation strategy such that each tire on the rear axle is inflated to the intermediate tire pressure before each tire on the front axle is inflated to the intermediate tire pressure.

3. A processor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to receive an input signal representative of the current tire pressure of the tire before the first stage commences and/or before the second stage commences.

4. A processor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to control the central tire inflation system to supply compressed air for a first time interval during said first stage, and to supply compressed air for a second time interval during said second stage.

5. A processor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said intermediate tire pressure is at least substantially equal to or greater than a minimum tire pressure threshold value for on-road driving.

6. A processor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to control the central tire inflation system to inflate each of the tires of the vehicle to said intermediate tire pressure or to respective intermediate tire pressures, and subsequently to inflate each of the tires of the vehicle to said target pressure or to respective target tire pressures.

7. A processor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to control the central tire inflation system to supply compressed air from a first compressed air source to inflate each tire of the vehicle.

8. A processor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to control the central tire inflation system to generate a pneumatic control signal for controlling a pneumatic control valve provided in a tire supply line.

9. A processor as claimed in claim 1 , operably coupled to a human to machine interface of the vehicle.

10. An electronic controller for controlling a central tire inflation system, the electronic controller comprising a processor as claimed in claim 1 .

11. A central tire inflation system comprising the electronic controller claimed in claim 10 .

12. A vehicle comprising a central tire inflation system as claimed in claim 11 .

13. A method of operating a central tire inflation system to inflate each of a plurality of tires provided on a front axle and a rear axle of a vehicle from a current tire pressure to a target tire pressure, the method comprising the steps of: using a processor, generating at least one signal to cause the central tire inflation system to supply compressed air to inflate each tire to an intermediate tire pressure in a first stage, and to cause the central tire inflation system subsequently to supply compressed air to inflate each tire to the target tire pressure in a second stage, wherein a staggered tire inflation strategy is implemented in which the tires on the rear axle are inflated to the target tire pressure before the tires on the front axle are inflated to the target tire pressure.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein a staggered tire inflation strategy is implemented in which the tires on the rear axle are inflated to the intermediate tire pressure before the tires on the front axle are inflated to the intermediate tire pressure.

15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium including computer readable program code, wherein the computer readable program code when executed causes a central tire inflation system to inflate a tire according to the method claimed in claim 13 .

Assignees

• Jaguar Land Rover Ltd

Inventors

• King Paul
• Dunning Emma-Claire
• Lesbirel Robbie
• Dodu Maelle
• Tran Thuy-Yung

Classifications

• B60C23/003 Primary

  comprising rotational joints between vehicle-mounted pressure sources and the tyres · CPC title

• B60C23/00372 Primary

  characterised by fluid diagrams · CPC title

• B60C23/00354

  Details of valves · CPC title

• B60C23/00318

  on the wheels or the hubs · CPC title

• B60C23/001

  Devices for manually or automatically controlling or distributing tyre pressure whilst the vehicle is moving · CPC title