Device and method for detecting abnormal state of tire

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11845307-B2
Application number	US-202217702363-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2022
Priority date	Sep 1, 2021
Publication date	Dec 19, 2023
Grant date	Dec 19, 2023

Abstract

A device for detecting an abnormal state of a tire includes a wireless transceiver spaced apart from the tire and coupled to a vehicle, where the wireless transceiver transmits a radio signal to a ground surface and acquires delay information required to receive a reflected wave from the ground surface, and a control module that calculates a reference distance between the wireless transceiver and the ground surface based on the delay information, and detects an abnormal state of the tire, based on a reference distance change.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for detecting an abnormal state of a tire, the device comprising:
a wireless transceiver spaced apart from the tire and coupled to a vehicle, wherein the wireless transceiver transmits a radio signal to a ground surface and acquires delay information required to receive a reflected wave from the ground surface; and
a control module configured to calculate a reference distance between the wireless transceiver and the ground surface based on the delay information, and detect the abnormal state of the tire, based on a reference distance change,
wherein the control module is further configured to determine whether the tire is abnormal, based on a change in a reference angle,
wherein the reference angle is an angle between a reference line connecting the wireless transceiver and a rotation axis of the tire to each other and the ground surface in a side view of the vehicle.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the wireless transceiver is a UWB (Ultra Wide Band) antenna.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the control module is configured to calculate an initial reference distance, based on identifying that a vehicle door is closed after an engine is turned off.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the control module is configured to, after calculating the initial reference distance, calculate the reference distance on a predetermined time basis, and then calculate a difference between the initial reference distance and the calculated reference distance as the reference distance change.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the control module is configured to determine that the tire is in a deflated state or the tire is being removed, based on a state in which the reference distance change is greater than or equal to a preset first threshold value and is smaller than a preset second threshold value.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the second threshold value is calculated by summing a tire thickness and a margin.

7. The device of claim 5 , wherein the control module is configured to determine that the tire has been removed from the vehicle, based on a state in which the reference distance change is equal to or greater than the second threshold value.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the control module is configured to determine a change in a ratio between the reference line and a reference height as a change in a sine value of the reference angle,
wherein the reference height is defined as a distance between the wireless transceiver and a reference parallel line parallel to the ground surface and passing through the rotation axis of the tire.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein upon determination of the abnormality of the tire, the control module is configured to transmit abnormality information to a user terminal, or notify the abnormality through an alarm transmitter.

10. A method for detecting an abnormal state of a tire using a control module mounted on a vehicle, the method comprising:
calculating a reference distance between a ground surface and a reference point on the vehicle spaced apart from the tire by a predetermined distance;
monitoring a reference distance change; and
determining that the tire is in the abnormal state, based on a state in which the reference distance change is equal to or greater than a preset first threshold value,
wherein monitoring the reference distance change further includes determining a change in a sine value of a reference angle based on the reference distance,
wherein the reference angle is an angle between a reference line connecting the reference point and a rotation axis of the tire to each other and the ground surface in a side view of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein calculating the reference distance includes:
receiving delay information including a time duration for which a radio signal transmitted from an wireless transceiver is reflected from the ground surface and reaches the antenna; and
calculating the reference distance based on the delay information.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein calculating the reference distance includes:
identifying that an engine of the vehicle is turned off;
identifying that a door of the vehicle is closed, when the engine of the vehicle has been turned off; and
calculating an initial reference distance, when the door of the vehicle has been closed.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein monitoring the reference distance change includes:
after calculating the initial reference distance, calculating the reference distance on a predetermined time basis; and
calculating a difference between the initial reference distance and the calculated reference distance as the reference distance change.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the predetermined time is shorter than a time estimate taken to remove the tire.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein determining that the tire is in the abnormal state includes determining that the tire is in a deflated state or is being removed, based on a state in which the reference distance change is greater than or equal to the preset first threshold value and is smaller than a preset second threshold value.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein determining that the tire is in the abnormal state includes determining that the tire has been removed from the vehicle, based on a state in which the reference distance change is equal to or greater than the second threshold value.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the change in the sine value includes determining a change in a ratio between the reference line and a reference height as the change in the sine value,
wherein the reference height is defined as a distance between the wireless transceiver and a reference parallel line parallel to the ground surface and passing through the rotation axis of the tire.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises, upon determination of the abnormal state of the tire, transmitting abnormality information to a user terminal.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Jo Sung Jin
• Chung Jae Hoon

Classifications

• B60C23/067 Primary

  by monitoring chassis to ground distance · CPC title

• B60C23/0481

  System diagnostic, e.g. monitoring battery voltage, detecting hardware detachments or identifying wireless transmission failures · CPC title

• B60W40/12

  related to parameters of the vehicle itself {, e.g. tyre models} · CPC title

• B60W2422/70

  on the wheel or the tyre · CPC title

• B60C23/068

  by monitoring chassis to tyre distance · CPC title