Antiskid control unit and data collection system for vehicle braking system

• US 20050251306A1
• Filed: 05/06/2004
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hydro-Aire Aerospace Corporation (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Hydro-Aire Incorporated Subsidiary of Crane Company
• Inventors: Gowan, John, DeVlieg, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 7,489,996 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1703 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/171 Detecting parameters used in the regulation; Measuring values used in the regulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/28 for testing brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/122 Speed recorders
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/16 for erasable recording, e.g. magnetic recording
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/443 mounted in bearings bearings F16C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A wheel speed transducer including a magnetic device associated with a wheel and a sensor device associated with the axle of the wheel provides data indicative of the velocity of the wheel. A processor located at the axle receives the wheel speed data and processes it to perform antiskid control functions. The velocity data is stored in a data concentrator also associated with the axle. A tire pressure sensor, a brake temperature sensor and a brake torque sensor, each associated with the wheel, send data to the processor at the axle, for storage in the data concentrator. A transmitting antenna associated with the axle and in communication with the data concentrator transmits stored data to a receiving antenna associated with the wheel. A data port at the wheel and in communication with the receiving antenna provides an interface to an external device for receiving the data.

Claims

1. A system for collecting information related to the operation of a wheel on an axle of a moving vehicle, said system comprising:

a processor associated with the axle;

a wheel speed transducer adapted to provide wheel speed data to the processor;

a data concentrator for storing wheel speed data over a period of time; and

means for downloading the operation information including the wheel speed data from the data concentrator.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the axle is hollow and the processor is located within the axle.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the axle is hollow and the data concentrator is located within the axle.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the axle is solid and the processor is located around the outside of the axle.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the axle is solid and the data concentrator is located around the outside of the axle.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the wheel speed transducer comprises:

a magnetic device associated with the wheel; and

a sensor device associated with the axle and adapted to sense the magnetic field produced by the magnetic device and output signals to the processor.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the axle is hollow and the sensor device is located within the axle.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a tire pressure sensor adapted to provide tire pressure data to the processor, wherein the operation information includes the tire pressure.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the tire pressure sensor comprises:

a transmitting device having a pressure sensor at one end in communication with the tire interior and a transmitting antenna at the other end for transmitting pressure sensor signals; and

a receiving device in communication with the processor and adapted to receive signals from the transmitting antenna.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the pressure sensor comprises a passive surface acoustic wave sensor.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the tire pressure sensor comprises:

a transmitting device having a capacitive diaphragm at one end in communication with the tire interior, a passive application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) having an input coupled to the diaphragm and a transmitting antenna coupled to the output of the ASIC for transmitting pressure sensor signals output by the ASIC; and

a receiving device in communication with the processor and adapted to receive signals from the transmitting antenna.

12. The system of claim 1 further comprising a brake temperature sensor adapted to provide brake temperature data to the processor, wherein the operation information includes the temperature data.

13. The system of claim 1 further comprising a brake torque sensor adapted to provide brake torque data to the processor, wherein the operation information includes the torque data.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising an accelerometer adapted to provide acceleration data to the processor, wherein the operation information includes the acceleration data.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for downloading comprises:

a transmitting device in communication with the processor and storage device; and

a receiving device in communication with a data bus connection and adapted to receive signals from the transmitting device.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the transmitting device is associated with the axle.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the receiving device is associated with the wheel.

18. A system for use in collecting information related to the operation of a wheel on an axle of a moving vehicle, the wheel having a magnetic device mounted thereto, said system comprising:

a processor associated with the axle;

a sensor device associated with the axle and adapted to sense the magnetic field produced by the magnetic device and output velocity signals to the processor, the processor adapted to convert the velocity signals to wheel speed data;

a data concentrator for storing the wheel speed data; and

a bus device for downloading the operation information including the wheel speed data from the data concentrator.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the processor comprises:

a velocity converter in communication with the magnetic sensor adapted to convert the velocity signals to velocity data; and

a data interrogator adapted to collect velocity data from the velocity converter and forward the data to the data concentrator.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the data interrogator is adapted to periodically collect velocity data and time stamp the data.

21. The system of claim 18 further comprising a tire pressure sensor adapted to sense the pressure within the tire and output pressure signals to the processor.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the processor comprises:

a pressure converter in communication with the tire pressure sensor adapted to convert the pressure signals to pressure data; and

a data interrogator adapted to collect pressure data from the pressure converter and forward the data to the data concentrator.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the data interrogator is adapted to periodically collect pressure data and time stamp the data.

24. The system of claim 18 further comprising a torque sensor adapted to sense the torque at the wheel brake and output torque signals to the processor.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the processor comprises:

a torque converter in communication with the torque sensor adapted to convert the torque signals to torque data; and

a data interrogator adapted to collect torque data from the torque converter and forward the data to the data concentrator.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the data interrogator is adapted to periodically collect torque data and time stamp the data.

27. The system of claim 18 further comprising a temperature sensor adapted to sense the temperature at the wheel brake and output temperature signals to the processor.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the processor comprises:

a temperature converter in communication with the temperature sensor adapted to convert the temperature signals to temperature data; and

a data interrogator adapted to collect temperature data from the temperature converter and forward the data to the data concentrator.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the data interrogator is adapted to periodically collect temperature data and time stamp the data.

30. The system of claim 18 wherein the bus device comprises:

a receiving antenna at the wheel and in communication with a data port; and

a transmitting antenna at the axle and in communication with the data concentrator.

31. A method of providing information related to the operation of a wheel on an axle of a moving vehicle, said method comprising:

measuring at least one of wheel speed, tire pressure, brake torque and brake temperature data;

storing the data; and

providing access to the data at the wheel.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein measuring wheel speed data comprises:

positioning a magnetic device on a rotatable portion of the wheel;

sensing the magnetic field produced by the magnetic device while the wheel is rotating; and

converting the sensed magnetic field to wheel speed data.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein sensing the magnetic field comprises positioning a sensor device at the axle of the wheel.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein measuring tire pressure data comprises:

positioning a pressure sensor within the tire;

transmitting pressure sensor data to a processor at the wheel axle; and

converting the pressure sensor data to pressure data.

35. The method of claim 31 wherein measuring brake torque data comprises:

positioning a torque sensor at the wheel brake;

outputting torque sensor data to a processor at the wheel axle; and

converting the torque sensor data to torque data.

36. The method of claim 31 wherein measuring brake temperature data comprises:

positioning a temperature sensor at the wheel brake;

outputting temperature sensor data to a processor at the wheel axle; and

converting the temperature sensor data to temperature data.

37. The method of claim 31 wherein storing the data comprises periodically recording measurements of at least one of wheel speed, tire pressure, brake torque and brake temperature data.

38. The method of claim 31 wherein providing access to the data at the wheel comprises:

positioning a receiving antenna at the wheel, the receiving antenna in communication with a data port; and

transmitting the data from a location at the axle of the wheel.