Tire pressure control system for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9579935-B2
Application number	US-201414470306-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2014
Priority date	Aug 27, 2014
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a tire management system for a vehicle. The tire management system includes a first load sensor that determines a first load placed on a first tire of the vehicle, a first pressure sensor that determines a first fluid pressure within the first tire, a control unit communicatively coupled to the first load sensor and to the first pressure sensor. The control unit generates a first fluid pressure adjustment instruction based at least in part on the first load determined by the first load sensor and the first fluid pressure determined by the first pressure sensor. Additionally, the tire management system includes a first valve fluidly coupled to the first tire and communicatively coupled to the control unit, in which the first valve adjusts the first fluid pressure within the first tire based at least in part on the first fluid pressure adjustment instruction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tire management system for an off-road work vehicle, comprising:
a first load sensor coupled to a first axle of the off-road work vehicle, wherein the first load sensor comprises a first strain sensor configured to:
determine a first deformation of the first axle; and
determine a first load placed on a first tire of the off-road work vehicle coupled to the first axle based at least in part on the first deformation of the first axle;

a first pressure sensor configured to determine a first fluid pressure within the first tire;
a control unit communicatively coupled to the first load sensor and to the first pressure sensor, wherein the control unit is configured to generate a first fluid pressure adjustment instruction based at least in part on the first load determined by the first load sensor and the first fluid pressure determined by the first pressure sensor; and
a first valve fluidly coupled to the first tire and communicatively coupled to the control unit, wherein the first valve is configured to adjust the first fluid pressure within the first tire based at least in part on the first fluid pressure adjustment instruction.

2. The tire management system of claim 1 , comprising:
a second load sensor coupled to a second axle of the off-road work vehicle, wherein the second load sensor comprises a second strain sensor configured to:
determine a second deformation of the second axle; and
determine a second load placed on a second tire of the off-road work vehicle coupled to the second axle based at least in part on the second deformation of the second axle;

a second pressure sensor configured to determine a second fluid pressure within the second tire; and
a second valve fluidly coupled to the second tire and communicatively coupled to the control unit, wherein the second valve is configured to adjust the second fluid pressure within the second tire based at least in part on a second fluid pressure adjustment instruction,
wherein the control unit is configured to generate the second fluid pressure adjustment instruction based at least in part on the second load determined by the second load sensor and the second fluid pressure determined by the second pressure sensor.

3. The tire management system of claim 1 , comprising a compressed air source, wherein the first valve is configured to increase the first fluid pressure within the first tire by connecting the first tire to the compressed air source such that the compressed air source flows air into the first tire.

4. The tire management system of claim 1 , wherein the first valve is configured to reduce the first fluid pressure within the first tire by releasing air from the first tire.

5. The tire management system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to:
determine a target fluid pressure of the first tire based at least in part on the first load and a linear target fluid pressure versus load relationship;
determine a pressure deviation threshold; and
generate the first fluid pressure adjustment instruction when the first fluid pressure varies from the target fluid pressure by more than the pressure deviation threshold.

6. The tire management system of claim 5 , wherein the control unit is configured to:
increase the pressure deviation threshold to facilitate conserving resources used by the tire management system to adjust the first fluid pressure within the first tire; and
decrease the pressure deviation threshold to facilitate improving performance of the off-road vehicle.

7. The tire management system of claim 1 , comprising an operator panel configured to:
receive the first fluid pressure adjustment instruction from the control unit; and
display a visual representation to inform an operator whether to increase or decrease the first fluid pressure within the first tire, wherein the visual representation is based at least in part on the first fluid pressure adjustment instruction.

8. The tire management system of claim 1 , wherein:
the control unit is configured to communicate the first fluid pressure adjustment instruction to the first valve; and
the first valve is configured to automatically adjust the first fluid pressure within the first tire in response to the first fluid pressure adjustment instruction.

9. The tire management system of claim 1 , comprising an operator panel configured to:
receive an operator input comprising an increase pressure control or a decrease pressure control; and
communicate the operator input to the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to:
generate the first fluid pressure adjustment instruction based at least in part on the operator input; and
communicate the first fluid pressure adjust instruction to the first valve to enable the first valve to adjust the first fluid pressure within the first tire in response to the operator input received via the operator panel.

10. The tire management system of claim 1 , wherein the first load sensor is configured to:
determine a load change threshold from memory; and
communicate the first load to the control unit when the first load changes by more than the load change threshold.

11. The tire management system of claim 10 , wherein the control unit is configured to retrieve the first fluid pressure from the first pressure sensor in response to receiving the first load from the first load sensor.

12. The tire management system of claim 1 , wherein the first load sensor and the first pressure sensor are configured to periodically communicate the first load and the first fluid pressure, respectively, to the control unit.

13. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by one or more processors of a tire management system in an off-road work vehicle, wherein the instructions comprise instructions to:
determine, using the one or more processors, target resource consumption of the off-road work vehicle and target performance of the off-road vehicle;
adjust, using the one or more processors, a pressure deviation threshold based at least in part on the target resource consumption and the target performance;
determine, using the one or more processors, a load profile on a tire of the off-road work vehicle based at least in part on a load indication received from a load sensor;
determine, using the one or more processors, a target fluid pressure within the tire based on the load profile;
determine, using the one or more processors, a measured fluid pressure within the tire based at least in part on a pressure measurement received from a pressure sensor; and
instruct, using the one or more processors, a valve fluidly coupled to the tire to adjust the fluid pressure within the tire during operation of the off-road work vehicle when the measured fluid pressure varies from the target fluid pressure by more than the pressure deviation threshold.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13 , comprising instructions to:
instruct, using the one or more processors, the valve to remain closed when the measured fluid pressure is higher than the target fluid pressure by less than the pressure deviation threshold;
instruct, using the one or more processors, the valve to remain closed when the measured fluid pressure is lower than the target fluid pressure by less than the pressure deviation threshold; and
instruct, using the one or more processors, the value to remain closed when the measured fluid pressure is equal to the target fluid pressure.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions to instruct the valve to adjust the fluid press

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Infantini Mauricio Blanco

Classifications

• B60C23/00

  Devices for measuring, signalling, controlling, or distributing tyre pressure or temperature, specially adapted for mounting on vehicles; Arrangement of tyre inflating devices on vehicles, e.g. of pumps or of tanks; Tyre cooling arrangements · CPC title

• B60C23/002 Primary

  by monitoring conditions other than tyre pressure or deformation · CPC title