Tire sensor-based robust road surface roughness classification system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017166019-A1
Application number	US-201514964029-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 9, 2015
Priority date	Dec 9, 2015
Publication date	Jun 15, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A road classification system for determining a road surface condition includes a model having as an input changes in the measured axle vertical acceleration of the vehicle. The model further uses a sensor-measured tire inflation pressure and a tire construction type ascertained from a tire-based identification tag.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A road classification system comprising:
at least one tire supporting a vehicle; a tire-mounted sensor operable to measure a tire inflation pressure; a tire-mounted identification tag operable to identify the one tire by an identification code; a tire construction database operable for identifying a tire construction type for the one tire from the identification code; a vehicle-mounted axle vertical acceleration sensor operable to measure an axle vertical acceleration of the vehicle; a road surface classification model for concluding a road surface condition based on measured changes in the measured axle vertical acceleration of the vehicle and the measured tire inflation pressure and the identified tire construction type.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein further comprising a vehicle-mounted speed sensor operable to measure a vehicle speed; and
wherein the road surface classification model makes the road surface conclusion based on an inclusive consideration of measured vehicle speed.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein further comprising a vehicle-mounted sensor operable to indicate a suspension damper setting; and
wherein the road surface classification model makes the road surface conclusion based on an inclusive consideration of the suspension damper setting.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the measured tire inflation pressure and the identified tire construction are employed in determining a tire sidewall stiffness.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the road surface classification model makes the road surface condition conclusion based on changes in the measured axle vertical acceleration of the vehicle, a measured damping of a main suspension of the vehicle and a vertical stiffness of the one tire.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the vertical stiffness of the one tire is calculated based on the measured tire inflation pressure for the identified tire construction type.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein further comprising a vehicle-mounted speed sensor operable to measure a vehicle speed; and
wherein the road surface classification model makes the road surface conclusion based on the measured vehicle speed.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein further comprising a vehicle-mounted sensor operable to indicate a suspension damper setting; and
wherein the road surface classification model makes the road surface conclusion based on the indicated suspension damper setting.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the measured tire inflation pressure and the identified tire construction are employed in determining a tire sidewall stiffness.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the road surface classification model makes the road surface conclusion based on the measured axle vertical acceleration of the vehicle, a measured damping of a main suspension of the vehicle and a vertical stiffness of the one tire.

11 . A road classification system comprising:
at least one tire supporting a vehicle; a tire-mounted sensor operable to measure a tire inflation pressure; a tire-mounted identification tag operable to identify the one tire by an identification code; a tire construction database operable for identifying a tire construction type for the one tire from the identification code; a vehicle-mounted axle vertical acceleration sensor operable to measure an axle vertical acceleration of the vehicle; a vehicle-mounted speed sensor operable to measure a vehicle speed; a vehicle-mounted sensor operable to indicate a suspension damper setting; and a road surface classification model for making a road surface condition conclusion based on changes in the measured axle vertical acceleration of the vehicle, the measured tire inflation pressure, the identified tire construction type, the vehicle speed and the indicated suspension damper setting.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the measured tire inflation pressure and the identified tire construction are employed in determining a tire sidewall stiffness of the one tire sidewall.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the road surface classification model makes the conclusion of road surface condition based on changes in the measured axle vertical acceleration of the vehicle, a measured damping of a main suspension of the vehicle and the determination of vertical stiffness of the one tire.

14 . A method of road classification comprising:
mounting an air pressure measuring sensor to a tire supporting a vehicle, the sensor operable to measure a tire inflation pressure for the tire; mounting an identification tag to the tire operable to identify the tire by an identification code; employing a tire construction database operable to identifying a tire construction type for the tire from the identification code; mounting an axle vertical acceleration sensor to the vehicle operable to measure an axle vertical acceleration of the vehicle; employing a road surface classification model for making a road surface condition conclusion based on changes in the measured axle vertical acceleration of the vehicle, the measured tire inflation pressure and the identified tire construction type.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein further comprising:
mounting a speed sensor to the vehicle operable to measure a vehicle speed; and using the vehicle speed in the road surface classification model to make the road surface condition conclusion.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein further comprising:
mounting a sensor to the vehicle operable to indicate a suspension damper setting; and using the indicated suspension damper setting to make the road surface condition conclusion.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the measured tire inflation pressure and the identified tire construction are employed in determining a tire sidewall stiffness.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein further comprising using the tire sidewall stiffness in the road surface classification model to make the road surface condition conclusion.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein further comprising deriving the vertical stiffness of the tire from the measured tire inflation pressure and the identified tire construction type.

20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein further comprising:
mounting speed sensor to the vehicle operable to measure a vehicle speed; mounting a sensor to the vehicle operable to detect a suspension damper setting; determining a tire sidewall stiffness from the tire inflation pressure and the identified tire construction; making the road surface condition conclusion by the road surface classification model changes based on the measured axle vertical acceleration of the vehicle, the suspension damper setting and the vertical stiffness of the one tire.

Assignees

• Goodyear Tire & Rubber

Inventors

• Singh Kanwar Bharat

Classifications

• G01N19/00

  Investigating materials by mechanical methods (G01N3/00 - G01N17/00 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60C23/0474 Primary

  Measurement control, e.g. setting measurement rate or calibrating of sensors; Further processing of measured values, e.g. filtering, compensating or slope monitoring · CPC title

• B60C13/00

  Tyre sidewalls; Protecting, decorating, marking, or the like, thereof (B60C17/08 takes precedence; tyre shoulders B60C11/01; removable tyre sidewall trim rings B60B7/01) · CPC title

• B60C23/0415

  Automatically identifying wheel mounted units, e.g. after replacement or exchange of wheels · CPC title

• B60T2210/14

  Rough roads, bad roads, gravel roads · CPC title