Method and system for determining a wading depth of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9358983-B2
Application number	US-201314379002-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2013
Priority date	Feb 15, 2012
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

A method of determining a wade depth (d Max ) in relation to a vehicle ( 1 ) when at least partially submerged in water. An attitude of the vehicle ( 1 ) is determined and a first height (d Sensed ) of the surface of the water measured relative to a first reference point on the vehicle ( 1 ). The wade depth (d Max ) is determined based on the attitude of the vehicle ( 1 ) and said first height (d Sensed ). Alternatively, or in addition, the travel height (H S ) of a vehicle suspension is determined. Aspects of the invention also relates to a system and a vehicle ( 1 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of determining a wading depth of a vehicle when at least partially submerged in water, the method comprising carrying out the following steps using at least one processor at the vehicle:
(a) determining an attitude of the vehicle using data from a first sensor on the vehicle;
(b) measuring a first height of a water surface relative to a first reference point on the vehicle using data from a second sensor on the vehicle; and
(c) determining said wade depth based on the attitude of the vehicle and said first height.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising determining a travel position of a vehicle suspension.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein determining the wade depth comprises calculating a first vertical offset at a first position displaced longitudinally and/or laterally from said first reference point and adding said vertical offset to the measured height of the water at said first reference point.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said first position is located at a front of the vehicle or at a rear of the vehicle.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein determining the wade depth comprises applying a bow wave compensating factor based on a forward speed and/or acceleration of the vehicle.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first height is measured by detecting a signal reflected off the surface of the water.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the detected signal is amplified or corrected to account for signal attenuation.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 , the method comprising measuring a second height relative to a second reference point on the vehicle.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 comprising comparing said first and second heights to determine an attitude of the vehicle.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the first reference point is provided on a first side of the vehicle and the second reference point is provided on a second side of the vehicle.

11. A system for determining a wading depth of a vehicle when at least partially submerged in water, the system comprising:
an attitude sensor for measuring the angular orientation of the vehicle relative to a horizontal axis;
at least a first sensor for measuring a first height of a water surface relative to a first reference point on the vehicle; and
a processor for determining the wade depth of the vehicle based on said measured angular orientation and said first height.

12. A system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein at least said first sensor is provided in a wing mirror assembly of the vehicle.

13. A vehicle comprising a system as claimed in claim 11 .

14. A system for determining a wading depth of a vehicle when at least partially submerged in water, the system comprising:
means for determining a travel position of a vehicle suspension assembly;
at least a first sensor for measuring a first height of a water surface relative to a first reference point on the vehicle; and
a processor for determining the wade depth of the vehicle based on said travel position and said first height.

15. A system as claimed in claim 14 , wherein at least said first sensor is provided in a wing mirror assembly of the vehicle.

16. A vehicle comprising a system as claimed in claim 14 .

17. A method of determining a wading depth of a vehicle when at least partially submerged in water; the method comprising carrying out the following steps using at least one processor at the vehicle:
(a) determining a travel position of a vehicle suspension using data from a first sensor on the vehicle;
(b) measuring a first height of a water surface relative to a first reference point on the vehicle using data from a second sensor on the vehicle; and
(c) determining the wade depth of the vehicle based on said travel position and said first height.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17 comprising determining an attitude of the vehicle.

19. A method as claimed in claim 17 , wherein determining the wade depth comprises calculating a first vertical offset at a first position displaced longitudinally and/or laterally from said first reference point and adding said vertical offset to the measured height of the water at said first reference point.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19 , wherein said first position is located at a front of the vehicle or at a rear of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Jaguar Land Rover Ltd

Inventors

• Gilling Simon
• Tran Thuy-Yung
• Hoare Edward
• Clarke Nigel J

Classifications

• G01F23/0061

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01F23/0076

  Physics · mapped topic

• B60W40/076 Primary

  Slope angle of the road · CPC title

• B60W40/11

  Pitch movement · CPC title

• B60W40/10

  related to vehicle motion · CPC title