System to influence the position of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11027581-B2
Application number	US-201615272978-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2016
Priority date	Oct 23, 2015
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

A system for influencing a vehicle position when travelling along a subsurface includes a vehicle structure including left and right wheels, a tire inflation system for the supply of the corresponding tires of each individual wheel with a specified tire inflation pressure, and a sensor device for determining a transverse tilt of the vehicle structure with respect to the travelled subsurface. The sensor device is configured to provide a transverse tilt magnitude that reflects the determined transverse tilt and operably communicates it to a control unit. The control unit operably adapts the tire inflation pressure specified for the left and right wheels by controlling the tire inflation system in accordance with the transverse tilt magnitude in such a way that the vehicle structure is tilted in the sense of a reduction of the determined transverse tilt with respect to the travelled subsurface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for influencing a vehicle position when travelling along an inclined subsurface, comprising:
a vehicle structure including left and right wheels;
a tire inflation system for the supply of the corresponding tires of each individual wheel with a specified tire inflation pressure; and
a sensor device for determining a transverse tilt of the vehicle structure with respect to the travelled inclined subsurface, the sensor device configured to provide a transverse tilt magnitude that reflects the determined transverse tilt and operably communicates it to a control unit, wherein the transverse tilt magnitude is a deviation of a parallel position of the vehicle structure as measured relative to a center of gravity of the vehicle structure;
wherein the control unit operably adapts the tire inflation pressure specified for either the left or the right wheels by controlling the tire inflation system in accordance with the transverse tilt magnitude in such a way that the vehicle structure is tilted in the sense of a reduction of the determined transverse tilt in accordance with a permissible tolerance range with respect to the travelled inclined subsurface.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor device includes an imaging sensor means for determining an anticipatory transverse tilt of the vehicle structure with respect to a subsurface to be travelled on, and including the anticipatory transverse tilt with the determined transverse tilt.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor device includes a distance-detecting sensor means for determining a current transverse tilt of the vehicle structure with respect to a subsurface currently being travelled on, and including the current transverse tilt with the determined transverse tilt.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor device includes a tilt sensor coupled to the vehicle structure for operably detecting a first absolute transverse tilt of the vehicle structure with respect to the earth horizontal;
further wherein, in order to provide the transverse tilt magnitude, it is related with an absolute transverse tilt of the subsurface travelled on with respect to the earth horizontal which is determined from the position-dependent geo-information of a satellite-supported navigation system.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit operably communicates driver information if the determined transverse tilt exceeds the tilting of the vehicle structure which is attainable by adaptation of the tire inflation pressure.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the left wheels include a front left wheel and a rear left wheel, and wherein the right wheels include a front right wheel and a rear right wheel.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit operably increases the tire inflation pressure specified for either the left wheels or the right wheels for the wheels on a side of the vehicle structure aimed down a slope of the inclined subsurface.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit operably decreases the tire inflation pressure specified for either the left wheels or the right wheels for the wheels on a side of the vehicle structure aimed up a slope of the inclined subsurface.

9. The system of claim 1 , further wherein the control unit operably adapts the tire inflation pressure specified for both the left and the right wheels by controlling the tire inflation system.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Schott Florian
• Reinmuth Florian

Classifications

• B60C23/002 Primary

  by monitoring conditions other than tyre pressure or deformation · CPC title

• A01D75/28

  Control mechanisms for harvesters or mowers when moving on slopes; Devices preventing lateral pull · CPC title

• A01B71/02

  Setting or adjusting mechanisms · CPC title

• A01M7/0057

  with active regulation of the boom position · CPC title

• G01C9/02

  Details · CPC title