Methods and apparatus to determine vehicle weight

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12370853-B2
Application number	US-202318152632-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 10, 2023
Priority date	Apr 17, 2018
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to determine vehicle weight are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a suspension airbag, a pump fluidly coupled to the suspension airbag, the pump to control a fluid pressure in the suspension airbag to cause ride height adjustments for a vehicle, a motor operatively coupled to the pump, and processor circuitry to calculate a weight of the vehicle based on an offset between (a) a first motor input that causes the vehicle to rise or lower when the vehicle is unloaded and (b) a second motor input that causes the vehicle to rise or lower when the vehicle is carrying a load.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a suspension airbag;
a pump fluidly coupled to the suspension airbag, the pump to control a fluid pressure in the suspension airbag to cause ride height adjustments for a vehicle;
a motor operatively coupled to the pump, the motor to receive a first motor input that causes the vehicle to rise or lower when the vehicle is unloaded and a second motor input that causes the vehicle to rise or lower when the vehicle is carrying a load;
machine-readable instructions; and
at least one processor circuit to be programmed by the machine-readable instructions to calculate a weight of the vehicle based on an offset between (a) the first motor input at a first ride height for the vehicle and (b) the second motor input at the first ride height for the vehicle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the at least one processor circuit is to cause the first motor input to be provided to the motor in response to when the vehicle is unloaded and the second motor input to be provided to the motor in response to the vehicle carrying the load.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a sensor to measure (a) the first motor input when the vehicle is unloaded and (b) the second motor input when the vehicle is carrying the load.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first motor input is a first current provided to the motor, and the second motor input is a second current, the first current different than the second current.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pump is fluidly coupled to the suspension airbag via a fluid line, and further including a fluid valve fluidly coupled to the fluid line between the suspension airbag and the pump.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein one or more of the at least one processor circuit is to control a position of the fluid valve to control the fluid pressure in the suspension airbag.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pump is fluidly coupled to the suspension airbag via a fluid line, and further including a fluid reservoir fluidly coupled to the fluid line between the suspension airbag and the pump.

8. A vehicle comprising:
a suspension system;
a suspension airbag;
a pump fluidly coupled to the suspension airbag;
a motor operatively coupled to the pump, the motor to receive a first motor input and a second motor input;
machine-readable instructions; and
at least one processor circuit to be programmed by the machine-readable instructions to:
cause the first motor input to be provided to the motor to cause the motor to adjust a ride height of the vehicle in a first direction when the vehicle is unloaded;
cause the second motor input to be provided the motor to cause the motor to adjust the ride height of the vehicle in the first direction when the vehicle is loaded; and
calculate a weight of the vehicle based on the first motor input, the second motor input, and the respective ride heights of the vehicle when the vehicle is unloaded and when the vehicle is loaded.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the first motor input is to cause the motor to adjust the ride height between a first ride height and a second ride height when the vehicle is unloaded, the second motor input is to cause the motor to adjust the ride height between the first ride height and the second ride height when the vehicle is loaded, and wherein one or more of the at least one processor circuit is to calculate the weight based on a difference between (a) the first motor input when the vehicle is at a third ride height between the first ride height and the second ride height and (b) the second motor input when the vehicle is at the third ride height between the first ride height and the second ride height.

10. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the first motor input includes a first electrical current and the second motor input includes a second electrical current, and further including a sensor to measure the first electrical current when the vehicle is unloaded and the second electrical current when the vehicle is carrying the load.

11. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein one or more of the at least one processor circuit is to generate an alert in response to the calculated weight of the vehicle exceeding a weight capacity associated with the vehicle.

12. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the pump is fluidly coupled to the suspension airbag via a fluid line, and further including at least one of a fluid valve or a fluid reservoir fluidly coupled to the fluid line between the suspension airbag and the pump.

13. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the first motor input and the second motor input cause the suspension airbag to expand or contract to change the ride height of the vehicle.

14. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the suspension airbag is a first suspension airbag proximate a first wheel, the pump is a first pump, and further including:
a second suspension airbag proximate a second wheel; and
a second pump fluidly coupled to the second suspension airbag.

15. An apparatus comprising:
a sensor to:
measure a first motor input provided to a motor in response to the motor raising or lowering a ride height of a vehicle from a first ride height to a second ride height when the vehicle is unloaded; and
measure a second motor input provided to the motor in response to the motor raising or lowering the ride height of the vehicle from the first ride height to the second ride height when the vehicle is loaded;

machine-readable instructions; and
at least one processor circuit be programmed by the machine-readable instructions to calculate a weight carried by the vehicle when the vehicle is loaded based on (i) a value of the first motor input when the ride height of the vehicle is at a third ride height between the first ride height and the second ride height and (ii) a value of the second motor input when the ride height of the vehicle at the third ride height.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein one or more of the at least one processor circuit is to:
determine an offset between the first motor input and the second motor input; and
determine the weight carried by the vehicle based on the offset.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first motor input and the second motor input correspond to a same ride height adjustment of the vehicle.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first motor input is a first current and the second motor input is a second current, one or more of the at least one processor circuit to control the first current and the second current provided to the motor, respectively.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein one or more of the at least one processor circuit is to cause the motor to control a fluid pressure in a suspension airbag, the suspension airbag to cause a change from the first ride height to the second ride height of the vehicle.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first motor input is a first current, the second motor input is a second current, and one or more of the at least one processor circuit is to determine the weight carried by the vehicle based on a value of the first current associated with the third ride height and a value of the second current associated with the third ride height.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Niedert Andrew
• Lazarevski Peter Simeon
• Patel Rinku
• Rogness Anton
• Pearson Elliott
• Rajasingh Joshua
• Padilla Salvador

Classifications

• B60G2400/252

  vertical · CPC title

• B60G2600/18

  Automatic control means · CPC title

• B60G2500/02

  Supply or exhaust flow rates; Pump operation · CPC title

• B60G2800/20

  Stationary vehicle · CPC title

• B60G17/017

  characterised by their use when the vehicle is stationary, e.g. during loading, engine start-up or switch-off · CPC title