Wheel impact sensing and driver warning system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016280130-A1
Application number	US-201514667912-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 25, 2015
Priority date	Mar 25, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A wheel impact sensing system of a vehicle includes at least one sensor measuring an acceleration of a vehicle wheel resulting from an impact to the vehicle wheel. A processor determines a severity of the impact to the vehicle wheel as function of the acceleration measurement. An output device alerts a driver to potential damage of the vehicle wheel based on the determined impact severity to the vehicle wheel.

First claim

1 . A wheel impact sensing system of a vehicle comprising:
at least one linear sensor measuring a linear acceleration of a vehicle wheel resulting from an impact to the vehicle wheel; a processor determining a severity of the impact to the vehicle wheel as function of the linear acceleration measurement; an output device alerting a driver to potential damage of the vehicle wheel based on the determined impact severity to the vehicle wheel.

2 . The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor includes a plurality of longitudinal sensors each located at a vehicle wheel measuring accelerations of the vehicle wheel.

3 . The system of claim 2 wherein the processor identifies which vehicle wheel incurred the impact.

4 . The system of claim 1 wherein the output device outputs a warning to immediately inspect the vehicle wheel based on acceleration data being greater than a maximum threshold.

5 . The system of claim 1 wherein the output device outputs a warning to inspect the vehicle tires based on the acceleration data being between a maximum threshold and a minimum threshold.

6 . The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor includes an inertial sensor for measuring accelerations of the vehicle wheel.

7 . The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor includes a central sensing unit disposed on the vehicle for measuring accelerations as a result of an impact to the vehicle wheels.

8 . The system of claim 1 wherein the processor utilizes a lookup table to determine the severity of impact to the vehicle wheel as a function of the acceleration measurement.

9 . The system of claim 1 wherein a radial length of a tire is utilized in cooperation with the acceleration measurement for determining the severity of impact to the vehicle wheel.

10 . The system of claim 1 further comprising a tire pressure monitoring system, wherein the processor utilizes tire pressure data obtained by the tire pressure monitoring system in cooperation with the acceleration data to determine a severity of impact.

11 . The system of claim 10 wherein the output device actuates a warning to immediately inspect the vehicle wheel for damage based on the acceleration data being greater than a predetermined impact threshold and the tire pressure data indicating tire pressure decreasing at a constant rate.

12 . The system of claim 10 wherein the output device actuates a warning to inspect the vehicle wheel for damage based on the acceleration data being greater than a predetermined impact threshold and the tire pressure data indicating an aggregate tire pressure loss during a respective instance of time.

13 . A method of sensing an impact to a wheel of a vehicle comprising the steps of:
measuring, by at least one sensor, a linear acceleration of a vehicle wheel resulting from an impact to the vehicle wheel; determining, by a processor, a severity of the impact to the vehicle wheel based on the linear acceleration measurement of the vehicle wheel; alerting a driver, by an output device, to potential damage of the vehicle wheel based on the determined impact severity to the vehicle wheel.

14 . The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one sensor includes a plurality of longitudinal sensors each located at a vehicle wheel measuring accelerations of the vehicle wheel, and wherein the vehicle wheel incurring the impact is identified.

15 . The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one sensor further includes an inertial sensor measuring accelerations through a body of the vehicle, wherein a redundant check is performed by determining whether the inertial sensor detected an impact to the vehicle, wherein if the determination is made that the acceleration sensed by a respective longitudinal sensor is greater than a maximum threshold and the inertial sensor detect the impact, then a tire pressure monitoring routine is applied for cooperatively determining a severity of the impact

16 . The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of determining whether the acceleration is greater than a maximum threshold, wherein a warning is output to the driver to immediately inspect the vehicle tires in response to the acceleration being greater than a maximum threshold.

17 . The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of determining whether the acceleration is between a maximum threshold and a minimum threshold, and wherein a warning to inspect the vehicle tires is output to the driver based on the acceleration being between a maximum threshold and a minimum threshold.

18 . The method of claim 13 wherein the severity of the impact to the vehicle wheel is determined by a lookup table, the lookup table identifying the severity of impact as a function of the acceleration.

19 . The method claim 18 wherein the severity of the impact is further determined as a function of a radial length of a tire of the vehicle.

20 . The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:
obtaining tire pressure data from a tire pressure monitoring system;
determining the severity of impact as a function of the acceleration and the tire pressure data.

21 . The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of determining that the tire pressure data indicates that the tire pressure is decreasing by a constant rate, wherein the output device actuates a warning to the driver to immediately inspect the vehicle wheel for damage based on the acceleration being greater than a predetermined impact threshold and the tire pressure data indicating tire pressure decreasing at the constant rate.

22 . The system of claim 13 further comprising the step of determining that an aggregate tire pressure loss occurs over a respective period of time, wherein the output device actuates a warning to inspect the vehicle wheel for damage as a function of the acceleration being greater than a predetermined impact threshold and the tire pressure data indicating that the aggregate tire pressure loss occurs over the respective period of time.

23 . The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one sensor includes wheel-based sensors each located at a vehicle wheel measuring accelerations of the vehicle wheel, wherein the vehicle wheel incurring the impact is identified, wherein the at least one sensor further includes an inertial sensor measuring accelerations through a body of the vehicle, wherein a redundant check is performed by determining whether the inertial sensor detected an impact to the vehicle, wherein if the determination is made that the acceleration sensed by a respective wheel-based sensor is greater than a maximum threshold and if the inertial sensor detects the impact, then a tire pressure monitoring routine is applied for cooperatively determining a severity of the impact.

24 . The system of claim 13 wherein the at least one sensor includes wheel-based sensors each located at a vehicle wheel measuring accelerations of the vehicle wheel, wherein the vehicle wheel incurring the impact is identified, wherein the at least one sensor further includes an inertial sensor measuring accelerations through a frame of the vehicle, wherein a redundant check is performed by determining whether the inertial sensor detected the impact to the vehicle, wherein if the determination is made that the acceleration sensed by a respective wheel-based sensor is greater than a maximum threshold and if the inertial sensor senses no impact, then a determination is made that a sensor e

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Kia Hamid G
• Rodgers William R

Classifications

• B60W40/00

  Estimation or calculation of {non-directly measurable} driving parameters for road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub unit, {e.g. by using mathematical models} · CPC title

• B60Q9/00 Primary

  Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 {, e.g. haptic signalling} · CPC title

• B60W50/14 Primary

  Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention · CPC title

• B60W2530/20

  Tyre data · CPC title

• G07C5/0816 Primary

  Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction · CPC title