Device for creating a load profile of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10480989-B2
Application number	US-201715656621-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2017
Priority date	Jul 22, 2016
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

One general aspect of the present disclosure includes a control device for use in a vehicle. The control device may include a first counter and a second counter, where the first counter is assigned to a first weight range and the second counter is assigned to a second weight range. The control device may be configured to execute the following steps in an iterative manner: determination of an overall weight of the vehicle, and incrimination of the first counter when the overall weight falls within the first range.

First claim

We claim:

1. A control device for use in a vehicle, comprising:
a measurement device mechanically coupled to a vehicle transmission shaft and configured to measure a torque of the vehicle transmission shaft;
a first counter and a second counter connected to the measurement device,
wherein the first counter is assigned to a first weight range and the second counter is assigned to a second weight range,
wherein the control device is configured to execute the following steps in an iterative manner:
determination of an overall weight of the vehicle based on the torque; and
incrimination of the first counter when the overall weight falls within the first range.

2. The control device of claim 1 , wherein the control device is further configured to incrementing the second counter when the overall weight falls within the second range.

3. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the control device determines the overall weight on the basis of at least an acceleration of the vehicle.

4. The control device according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one non-volatile memory, wherein the control device stores the first counter and the second counter in the memory when the vehicle is shut down.

5. The control device according to claim 1 , further comprising a third counter, wherein the third counter is assigned to a third weight range, and wherein the control device is configured to increment the third counter when the overall weight of the vehicle falls within the third weight range.

6. The control device according to claim 5 , wherein the first weight range and the second weight range do not overlap.

7. The control device according to claim 5 , wherein the steps executed by the control device are executed in a time-controlled manner.

8. A vehicle having a control device according to claim 5 .

9. A method comprising:
determining an overall weight of a vehicle with a control device based on a torque in a transmission shaft of the vehicle, the control device having a first counter and a second counter; and
incrementing one of the first counter and the second counter when the overall weight falls respectively within a first range or a second range,
wherein a measurement device mechanically coupled to a vehicle transmission shaft measures the torque in the transmission shaft.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising initializing the first counter and the second counter with zero.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the steps are executed in an iterative manner.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising reading out the first counter and the second counter with a detection system.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the control device determines the overall weight on the basis of at least an acceleration of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein at least one non-volatile memory stores the first counter and the second counter when the vehicle is shut down.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the control device further comprises a third counter, wherein the third counter is assigned to a third weight range, and wherein the control device is configured to increment the third counter when the overall weight of the vehicle falls within the third weight range.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the control device further comprises a third counter, wherein the third counter is assigned to a third weight range, and wherein the control device is configured to increment the third counter when the overall weight of the vehicle falls within the third weight range.

Assignees

• Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen

Inventors

• Strak Dieter
• Waibel Anton
• Mumcu Ömer

Classifications

• G01G19/086 Primary

  wherein the vehicle mass is dynamically estimated · CPC title

• G01G19/035

  using electrical weight-sensitive devices · CPC title

• B60R16/0234

  related to maintenance or repairing of vehicles · CPC title

• G01G9/00

  Methods of, or apparatus for, the determination of weight, not provided for in groups G01G1/00 - G01G7/00 · CPC title

• B60R16/0232

  for measuring vehicle parameters and indicating critical, abnormal or dangerous conditions · CPC title