Recreational vehicle and integrated body control and weight sensing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10173689-B1
Application number	US-201815875037-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 19, 2018
Priority date	Jan 19, 2018
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, a recreational vehicle is provided comprising a vehicle body supported by at least one axle assembly, a plurality of operational components, at least one weight-sensing component, a body control module in communication with the operational components, a weight processing module in communication with the weight-sensing component, and a user interface. The user interface is in communication with the body control module and the weight processing module and comprises user prompts for (i) associating particular operational components with the recreational vehicle and (ii) associating a particular weight-related parameter with the recreational vehicle. The weight processing module, the weight-sensing component, and the user interface are structured to generate an indication of vehicle weight at the user interface. The indication of vehicle weight is at least partially dependent upon the particular weight-related parameter associated with the recreational vehicle at the user interface. Additional embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A recreational vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body supported by at least one axle assembly;
a plurality of operational components;
at least one weight-sensing component;
a body control module in communication with the operational components;
a weight processing module in communication with the weight-sensing component; and
a user interface, wherein
the user interface is in communication with the body control module and the weight processing module,
the user interface comprises associative operational component prompts representing operational components to be associated with the recreational vehicle,
the user interface comprises a weight-related parameter prompt representing a vehicular weight-related parameter to be associated with the recreational vehicle,
the weight processing module, the weight-sensing component, and the user interface are structured to generate an indication of vehicle weight at the user interface,
the vehicular weight-related parameter to be associated with the recreational vehicle at the user interface comprises a factor or variable that affects the manner in which the weight processing module, the weight-sensing component, and the user interface generate the indication of vehicle weight at the user interface, and
the indication of vehicle weight is at least partially dependent upon the vehicular weight-related parameter associated with the recreational vehicle at the user interface.

2. The recreational vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises user prompts for accessing and uploading data representing the operational components and the vehicular weight-related parameter via an external data link.

3. The recreational vehicle as claimed in claim 2 wherein the external data link is provided at the user interface.

4. The recreational vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the weight processing module, the weight-sensing component, and the user interface are structured to regenerate the indication of vehicle weight at the user interface if there is a change to the weight-related parameter associated with the recreational vehicle, the change to the weight-related parameter originating from use of the user prompts at the user interface.

5. The recreational vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the indication of vehicle weight is further dependent upon one or more of the operational components associated with the recreational vehicle at the user interface.

6. The recreational vehicle as claimed in claim 5 wherein the weight processing module, the weight-sensing component, and the user interface are structured to:
regenerate the indication of vehicle weight at the user interface if there is a change to the weight-related parameter associated with the recreational vehicle, the change to the weight-related parameter originating from use of the user prompts at the user interface; and
regenerate the indication of vehicle weight at the user interface if there is a change to a operational component upon which the indication of vehicle weight is dependent, the change to the operational component originating from use of the user prompts at the user interface.

7. The recreational vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein:
the weight-sensing component generates one or more raw vehicle weight signals; and
the weight processing module transforms the raw vehicle weight signal into the indication of vehicle weight at the user interface in a manner that is at least partially dependent upon the weight-related parameter associated with the recreational vehicle at the user interface.

8. The recreational vehicle as claimed in claim 7 wherein:
at least one user prompt at the user interface prompts a user to designate data representing the unsprung weight of the recreational vehicle; and
at least a portion of the transformation of the raw vehicle weight signal comprises an additive operation where the unsprung weight of the recreational vehicle is added to a sensed vehicle weight to provide the indication of vehicle weight at the user interface.

9. The recreational vehicle as claimed in claim 7 wherein:
at least one user prompt at the user interface prompts a user to designate data representing a configuration metric of the weight-sensing component; and
at least a portion of the transformation of the raw vehicle weight signal comprises a transformative operation where the raw vehicle weight signal is converted into the indication of vehicle weight by accounting for the configuration metric.

10. The recreational vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein:
the indication of vehicle weight is further dependent upon a predetermined Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) designated at the user interface; and
the indication of vehicle weight comprises a GVWR indicator representing whether the vehicle weight has exceeded the predetermined GVWR.

11. The recreational vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein:
the indication of vehicle weight is further dependent upon a predetermined GVWR designated at the user interface; and
the weight processing module, the weight-sensing component, and the user interface are structured to regenerate the indication of vehicle weight at the user interface if there is a change to the predetermined GVWR.

12. The recreational vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein:
the weight processing module is structured to calculate a GVWR associated with the recreational vehicle based upon one or more of the operational components associated with the recreational vehicle at the user interface; and
the indication of vehicle weight comprises a calculated weight value associated with the recreational vehicle or a GVWR indicator representing whether the vehicle weight has exceeded the predetermined GVWR.

13. The recreational vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the weight processing module and the user interface operate to generate the indication of vehicle weight by accounting for automated adjustments to the predetermined GVWR by the weight processing module as a function of data designated at the user interface.

14. The recreational vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the weight processing module and the user interface operate to generate the indication of vehicle weight by accounting for manual adjustments to the predetermined GVWR at the user interface.

15. The recreational vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the weight-related parameter upon which the indication of vehicle weight is dependent is selected from a configuration metric of the weight-sensing component of the recreational vehicle.

16. The recreational vehicle as claimed in claim 15 wherein the configuration metric of the weight-sensing component represents a type or count variable associated with the weight-sensing component.

17. The recreational vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the weight-related parameter upon which the indication of vehicle weight is dependent comprises a GVWR associated with the recreational vehicle.

18. The recreational vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the weight-related parameter upon which the indication of vehicle weight is dependent comprises a hitch assembly descriptor, a suspension component descriptor, a body component descriptor, or a combination thereof.

19. The recreational vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the weight-related parameter upon which the indication of vehicle weight is dependent comprises a type variable or count variable associated with the axle, tires, or wheels of the recreational vehicle, or a combination thereof.

Assignees

• Thor Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Bullock Mark
• Snyder Jeffrey

Classifications

• B60W40/13 Primary

  Load or weight · CPC title

• G01G19/086

  wherein the vehicle mass is dynamically estimated · CPC title

• G01G19/08 Primary

  for incorporation in vehicles · CPC title

• B60W2530/10

  Weight · CPC title

• B60K35/00

  Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles · CPC title