Rumble strip responsive systems: discrimination of types of rumble strips

• US 20060229840A1
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tsuda, Hiroshi, Kawazoe, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,219,031 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/147
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/28 Wheel speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/35 Road bumpiness, e.g. potholes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/06 Road conditions

Abstract

There are basically two types of rumble strips: shoulder/center rumble strips and in-lane rumble strips. In an embodiment of the invention, there is a device that automatically identifies the type of rumble strip with which a vehicle tire is in contact with. The device may include a processor adapted to receive input indicative of a state of rotation of a first vehicle tire and input indicative of a state of rotation of a second vehicle tire when one or more of the first vehicle tire and the second vehicle tire is in contact with a rumble strip. The processor includes logic to compare the state of rotation of the first vehicle tire to the state of rotation of the second vehicle tire, and determine from the comparison, the type of rumble strip in contact with at least one of the first vehicle tire and the second vehicle tire.

Claims

18. A device adapted to automatically identify a type of rumble strip, comprising:

a processor adapted to receive at least a first signal indicative of a rotation speed of a first vehicle tire and a second signal indicative of a rotation speed of a second vehicle tire, and to receive input indicative of whether at least one of the first vehicle tire and the second vehicle tire is in free-wheel mode or in driven mode, wherein at least one of the first vehicle tire and the second vehicle tire is in contact with a rumble strip;

wherein the processor includes logic to;

identify a substantial number of first values corresponding to rotation speeds of the first vehicle tire and identify a substantial number of second values corresponding to rotation speeds of the second vehicle tire substantially respectively corresponding temporally to the plurality of first values;

identify a substantial number of third values which are equivalent to adding first values and respective second values;

determine whether a substantial number of third values fall outside a predetermined threshold range;

if a substantial number of third values fall outside the predetermined range, and if input has been received indicative of at least one of the first vehicle tire and the second vehicle tire are in a driven mode, output a signal indicative of a determination that at least one of the first and second vehicle tires are in contact with in-lane rumble strips;

if a substantial number of third values fall inside the predetermined range, and if input has been received indicative of at least one of the first vehicle tire and the second vehicle tire are in a driven mode, output a signal indicative of a determination that at least one of the first and second vehicle tires are in contact with shoulder/center rumble strips.

19. A device adapted to automatically identify a type of rumble strip, comprising:

a processor adapted to receive at least a first signal indicative of a rotation speed of the first vehicle tire and second signal indicative of a rotation speed of a second vehicle tire, wherein at least one of the first vehicle tire and the second vehicle tire is in contact with a rumble strip;

wherein the processor includes logic to;

determine whether at least one of the first vehicle tire and the second vehicle tire is in contact with a rumble strip based on at least one of (i) the first signal, (ii) the second signal, and (iii) additional input;

identify a substantial number of first values corresponding to rotation speeds of the first vehicle tire and identify a substantial number of second values corresponding to rotation speeds of the second vehicle tire substantially respectively corresponding temporally to the plurality of first values;

identify a first pattern of first values over a predetermined period of time and identify a second pattern of second values temporally respective to the first values over the predetermined period of time;

determine whether the first pattern is substantially similar to the second pattern, and if a determination is made that at least one of the first vehicle tire and the second vehicle tire is in contact with a rumble strip and if a determination is made that the first pattern is substantially similar to the second pattern, output a signal indicative of a determination that at least one of the first and second vehicle tires are in contact with in-lane rumble strips.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the processor further includes logic to:

if a determination is made that at least one of the first vehicle tire and the second vehicle tire is in contact with a rumble strip and if a determination is made that the first pattern is substantially different to the second pattern, output a signal indicative of a determination that at least one of the first and second vehicle tires are in contact with shoulder/center rumble strips.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the processor further includes logic to:

identify an amplitude of the first pattern and an amplitude of the second pattern;

determine whether the amplitude of the first pattern is substantially similar to the amplitude of the second pattern, and if a determination is made that at least one of the first vehicle tire and the second vehicle tire is in contact with a rumble strip, and if a determination is made that the amplitude of the first pattern is substantially similar to the amplitude of the second pattern, and if no determination is made that the first pattern is substantially similar to the second pattern, output a signal indicative of a determination that at least one of the first and second vehicle tires are in contact with shoulder/center rumble strips.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the processor further comprises logic to:

determine at least one of;

(i) which of the first vehicle tire and the second vehicle tire is in contact with a rumble strip; and

(ii) which of the first vehicle tire and the second vehicle tire is not in contact with a rumble strip.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein the processor further comprises logic to:

determine at least one of;

(i) which of the first vehicle tire and the second vehicle tire is in contact with a rumble strip based on the amplitude of at least one of the first pattern and the second pattern; and

(ii) which of the first vehicle tire and the second vehicle tire is not in contact with a rumble strip based on the amplitude of at least one of the first pattern and the second pattern.

25-1. A device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to identify a first pattern corresponding to rotation speeds of the first vehicle tire over a first predetermined period and identify a second pattern corresponding to rotation speeds of the second vehicle tire over the first predetermined period;

wherein the processor includes logic to;

compare the first pattern to the second pattern with respect to phase and determine whether the first pattern is substantially different in phase from the second pattern; and

if a determination is made that the first pattern is substantially different in phase from the second pattern, determine that the rumble strip is a shoulder/center rumble strip and output a signal indicative of a determination that the rumble strip is a shoulder/center rumble strip.