Vehicle brake monitoring through ultrasonic emissions

• US 10,486,675 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2018
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian Hearing, Paul Terpstra
• Original Assignee: Brian Hearing, Paul Terpstra
• Inventors: Hearing, Brian, Terpstra, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Curtis J
• Application Number:
  US16/184,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20190143952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 383 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/22 Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/221 Procedure or apparatus for checking or keeping in a correct functioning condition of brake systems hydraulic pressure systems in general F15B19/00, F15B21/04; testing structures or apparatus G01M
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2066/006 without direct measurement of the quantity monitored, e.g. wear or temperature calculated form force and duration of braking
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 66/00 Arrangements for monitoring working conditions, e.g. wear, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 66/028 with non-electrical sensors or signal transmission, e.g. magnetic, optical
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response

Abstract

A system, method, and apparatus for vehicle brake monitoring are disclosed. An example method includes receiving a vehicle brake sound signal in a microphone and recording, via a sound card, a digital sound sample of the sound signal, the digital sound sample having a predetermined duration. The method also includes processing, via a processor, the digital sound sample into a feature frequency spectrum. The method further includes applying, via the processor, broad spectrum matching to compare the feature frequency spectrum at least one spectrum recorded previously and stored in a database. The method moreover includes, conditioned on significant changes from that previously recorded spectrum, transmitting via the processor, an alert that problems may exist with the sampled vehicle brake.

Claims

1. A process for remotely evaluating brake systems on a vehicle, said process comprising:

(a) receiving from a vehicle brake during operation from one or more ultrasonic sound signals, wherein said one or more ultrasonic signals are located from the vehicle brake at a distance from said vehicle;

(b) recording a digital sound sample of a predetermined duration from the one or more ultrasonic sound signals received;

(c) converting the digital sound sample into a feature frequency spectrum;

(d) comparing the feature frequency spectrum with one or more spectrum recordings in a database of spectrum recordings from vehicle brakes with one or more associated defects or problems;

(e) transmitting to an operator an alert of any problems that may exist with the sampled vehicle brake.

2. The process according to claim 1 wherein said one or more ultrasonic signals are received by a stationary sensor that is not attached to said vehicle.

3. The process according to claim 1 wherein one of the one or more spectrum recordings in said database corresponds to ultrasonic sounds from said vehicle at a previous time when all of the brakes on said vehicle were known to be good and defect-free.

4. The process according to claim 1 wherein the transmitting comprises sending an alert to said operator if there exists a deviation from the previously recorded spectrum for said vehicle and which may indicate problems with at least one of the brakes of said vehicle.

5. The process according to claim 2 wherein said one or more ultrasonic sensors are located in a location where vehicles brake regularly over their service life.

6. The process according to claim 5 wherein said one or more ultrasonic sensors are located in a garage.

7. The process according to claim 5 wherein said one or more ultrasonic sensors are located in a maintenance yard.

8. The process according to claim 1 wherein said alert is based on a measured feature frequency spectrum that represents a pattern indicating wear.

9. The process according to claim 1 wherein said alert is based on a measured feature frequency spectrum that represents a pattern indicating differences in relative amplitude and spectra from different wheels that indicate an imbalance.