Method and apparatus for providing road and vehicle condition diagnostics

• US 10,144,380 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2017
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dana Heavy Vehicle Systems Group LLC (Dana, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dana Heavy Vehicle Systems Group LLC (Dana, Inc.)
• Inventors: Laskey, Ryan W., Turner, Douglas D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US15/471,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20170274855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 35/14 composite or split, e.g. half- axles; Couplings between axle parts or sections
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 35/16 Axle housings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/165 provided between independent half axles B60K17/18, B60K17/20 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/36 for driving tandem wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01013 Means for detecting collision, impending collision or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01088 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01304 monitoring rough road condition
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0491 Additional elements being fixed on wipers or parts of wipers not otherwise provided for, e.g. covers, antennae or lights
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/905 the sensor being an xyz axis sensor
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2422/10 on a suspension arm
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/35 Road bumpiness, e.g. potholes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/06 Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/107 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/109 Lateral acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/166 Mechanical, construction or arrangement details of inertial navigation systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 : communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 : Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 : Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 : from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 : for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 : for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 : for traffic information dissemination

Abstract

A method of providing road and vehicle diagnostics, includes providing a vehicle axle system having a first axle half shaft housing, a second axle half shaft housing and a differential housing. Attached to one or more of the housings is one or more tri-axis accelerometers. In communication with the accelerometers is one or more data processors configured to receive and analyze data from the accelerometers. An occurrence of one or more road events is determined by one or more spikes in the Z-direction of the data collected from the accelerometers. A depth of the road event is determined by a magnitude of the positive and negative changes in acceleration of the spike in the Z-direction and a length of road event is determined by an amount of time between two spikes of opposite magnitudes in said Z-direction. Once identified, the time and geographic location of the road event is identified.

Claims

1. A method of providing road and vehicle diagnostics, comprising the steps of:

providing a vehicle axle system having a first axle half shaft housing, a second axle half shaft housing and a differential housing;

attaching one or more tri-axis accelerometers to an outer surface of said first axle housing, said second axle housing and/or said differential housing;

collecting data from said one or more tri-axis accelerometers in an x-direction, a y-direction and/or a Z-direction;

providing one or more data processors, wherein said one or more data processors are in communication with said one or more tri-axis accelerometers, wherein said one or more data processors are operably configured to receive said data collected from said one or more tri-axis accelerometers and analyze said data from said one or more tri-axis accelerometers;

identifying one or more road events, wherein said one or more road events are identified by one or more spikes in said Z-direction of said data collected from said one or more tri-axis accelerometers;

determining a depth and length of said one or more road events identified, wherein said depth of said one or more road events is determined by a magnitude of said positive and negative changes in acceleration of said spike in said Z-direction measured by said one or more tri-axis accelerometers, wherein said length of said one or more road events is determined by an amount of time between two spikes of opposite magnitudes in said Z-direction measured by said one or more tri-axis accelerometers;

identifying a geographic location for said one or more road events identified; and

identifying a time for when said one or more road events was identified.

2. The method of providing road and vehicle diagnostics of claim 1, wherein said one or more road events are a pothole, sinkhole, bump, debris and/or crack.

3. The method of providing road and vehicle diagnostics of claim 1, wherein said vehicle axle system is a front axle system, a rear axle system, a forward tandem axle system and/or a rear tandem axle system.

4. The method of providing road and vehicle diagnostics of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

communicating said one or more road events identified, said depth of said one or more road events, said length of said one or more road events, said geographic location of said one or more road events and/or said time said one or more road events was identified to a cloud-based server;

collecting data related to said one or more road events, said depth of said one or more road events, said length of said one or more road events, said geographic location of said one or more road events and/or said time of said one or more road events by said cloud-based server;

analyzing said data collected related to said one or more road events, said depth of said one or more road events, said length of said one or more road events, said geographic location of said one or more road events and/or said time of said one or more road events by said cloud-based server;

determining and monitoring changes in depth and/or length of said one or more road events over time by said cloud-based server; and

accessing said data related to said one or more road events on said cloud-based server by one or more departments of transportation, one or more concrete companies, one or more asphalt companies, one or more vehicle owners and/or one or more vehicle operators.

5. The method of providing road and vehicle diagnostics of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

analyzing changes in acceleration in said Z-direction collected from said one or more tri-axis accelerometers by said one or more data processors over a pre-determined amount of time, wherein said changes in acceleration in said Z-direction over said pre-determined amount of time defines one or more segments of road;

identifying a geographic location for said one or more segments of road; and

classifying said one or more segments of road based on data relating to frequency and magnitude of said changes in acceleration in said Z-direction over said pre-determined amount of time.

6. The method of providing road and vehicle diagnostics of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

communicating said classifications of said one or more segments of road to said cloud-based server;

analyzing said data collected related to said classifications of said one or more segments of road by said cloud-based server;

monitoring changes in said classification of said one or more segments of road over time by said cloud-based server; and

accessing said data analyzed related to said classifications of said one or more segments of road on said cloud-based server by said one or more departments of transportation, said one or more concrete companies, said one or more asphalt companies, said one or more vehicle owners and/or said one or more vehicle operators.

7. The method of providing road and vehicle diagnostics of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

analyzing said data collected related to said classifications of said one or more segments of road and/or said data related to said one or more road events by said cloud-based server;

monitoring an amount of said one or more road events, said change in depth of said one or more road events, said change in length of said one or more road events and/or said change in classification of said one or more segments of road over a pre-determined amount of time for one or more pre-determined segments of road by said cloud-based server;

determining a rate of degradation for said one or more pre-determined segments of road by said cloud-based server;

identifying when said one or more pre-determined segments of road reaches a pre-determined road degradation threshold by said cloud-based server;

determining a durability and/or performance for said one or more pre-determined segments of road by said cloud-based server, wherein said durability and/or performance of said one or more pre-determined segments of road is based on an amount of time from when materials for said one or more pre-determined segments of road are first laid until said one or more pre-determined segments of road reaches said pre-determined road degradation threshold identified; and

accessing said durability and/or performance of said one or more pre-determined segments of road determined by said one or more concrete companies and/or by said one or more asphalt companies.

8. The method of providing road and vehicle diagnostics of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

utilizing said durability and/or performance of said one or more pre-determined segments of road determined to identify which types of road materials work best in which geographic regions.

9. The method of providing road and vehicle diagnostics of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

utilizing said data analyzed related to said classifications of said one or more segments of road on said cloud-based server to determine which of said one or more segments of road are in need of repair and/or to determine travel routes.

10. The method of providing road and vehicle diagnostics of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing one or more environmental sensors;

providing one or more windshield wiper sensors;

identifying a crash condition, wherein said crash condition is identified by one or more spikes in said X-direction, Y-direction and/or Z-direction of said data collected from said one or more tri-axis accelerometers;

identifying a geographic location for said crash condition identified;

identifying a time for when said crash conditions was identified;

using said one or more environmental sensors to determine an ambient temperature at said time said crash condition is identified;

using said one or more windshield wiper sensors to determine an amount of precipitation at said time and said location where said crash condition was identified;

predicting a cause for said crash condition identified, wherein said prediction is based on said ambient temperature at said time of said crash condition, said location of said crash condition identified, said time said crash condition occurred and/or said amount of precipitation at said time said crash condition was identified;

communicating said cause for said crash condition identified to a cloud-based server; and

accessing said data related to cause for said crash condition identified on said cloud-based server by one or more insurance companies, one or more emergency service personnel, one or more law enforcement agencies, one or more vehicle owners and/or one or more vehicle operators.

11. The method of providing road and vehicle diagnostics of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

utilizing said cause of said crash condition predicted by said one or more insurance companies and said one or more law enforcement agencies to aid in writing crash condition reports.

12. The method of providing road and vehicle diagnostics of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

identifying one or more traffic conditions, wherein said one or more traffic conditions are identified by a plurality of spikes in said X-direction over a pre-determined amount of time;

identifying a geographic location for said one or more traffic conditions identified;

identifying a time for when said one or more traffic conditions was identified;

communicating said one or more traffic conditions identified, said geographic location of said one or more traffic conditions identified and said time for when said one or more traffic conditions identified to a cloud-based server;

receiving said information relating to said one or more traffic conditions identified, said geographic location of said one or more traffic conditions identified and said time for when said one or more traffic conditions identified by said cloud-based server;

analyzing said data collected related to said one or more traffic conditions identified, said geographic location of said one or more traffic conditions identified and said time for when said one or more traffic conditions identified by said cloud-based server;

determining an amount of said one or more segments of road experiencing said one or more traffic conditions identified; and

accessing said data related to said one or more traffic conditions identified on said cloud-based server by one or more municipalities, one or more vehicle owners and/or one or more vehicle operators.

13. The method of providing road and vehicle diagnostics of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

utilizing said amount of said one or more segments of road experiencing said one or more traffic conditions determined by said one or more municipalities to alter traffic patterns and optimize the flow of traffic within a geographic region.