SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TIRE CORNERING POWER ESTIMATION AND MONITORING

• US 20090271061A1
• Filed: 04/25/2008
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Basch, Rena Hecht, Wang, Dexin
• Granted Patent: US 8,290,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/30
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/06 Steering behaviour; Rolling behaviour

Abstract

A tire cornering power estimation and monitoring system, comprising a steering torque sensor, a steering wheel angle sensor, a yaw rate sensor, a lateral acceleration sensor, a speed sensor, and at least one controller configured to receive signals from the sensors and send a notification if the signals indicate that one or more of the vehicle'"'"'s tires need to be checked or serviced. The system also comprises a notification system configured to indicate that one or more of the vehicle'"'"'s tires need to be checked or serviced.

Claims

1. A tire cornering power estimation and monitoring system, comprising:

a steering torque sensor, a steering wheel angle sensor, a yaw rate sensor, a lateral acceleration sensor, and a speed sensor;

at least one controller configured to receive signals from the steering torque sensor, steering wheel angle sensor, yaw rate sensor, lateral acceleration sensor, and speed sensor and send a notification if the signals indicate that one or more of the vehicle'"'"'s tires need to be checked or serviced; and

a notification system configured to receive a signal from the controller and indicate that one or more of the vehicle'"'"'s tires need to be checked or serviced.

2. The tire cornering power estimation and monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine a front total steering moment based on at least one of the signals received from the steering torque sensor, steering wheel angle sensor, yaw rate sensor, lateral acceleration sensor, and speed sensor.

3. The tire cornering power estimation and monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to determine a front tire slip angle based on at least one of the signals received from the steering torque sensor, steering wheel angle sensor, yaw rate sensor, lateral acceleration sensor, and speed sensor.

4. The tire cornering power estimation and monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to estimate a front effective aligning stiffness based on the front total steering moment and the front tire slip angle.

5. The tire cornering power estimation and monitoring system of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to compare the estimated front effective aligning stiffness with a reference front aligning stiffness to determine a tire cornering stiffness deviation.

6. The tire cornering power estimation and monitoring system of claim 5, wherein the reference front aligning stiffness is dynamically updated based upon vehicle conditions.

7. The tire cornering power estimation and monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the notification system is configured to provide feedback to a vehicle driver when the tire cornering stiffness deviation exceeds a specified value.

8. The tire cornering power estimation and monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the feedback to the vehicle driver is current tire physical condition feedback.

9. A method for estimating and monitoring tire cornering power in a vehicle, comprising:

receiving signals corresponding to a steering torque, a steering wheel angle, a yaw rate, a lateral acceleration, and a speed; and

sending a notification if the signals indicate that one or more of the vehicle'"'"'s tires need to be checked or serviced.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining a front total steering moment based on at least one of the signals received from the steering torque sensor, steering wheel angle sensor, yaw rate sensor, lateral acceleration sensor, and speed sensor.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining a front tire slip angle based on at least one of the signals received from the steering torque sensor, steering wheel angle sensor, yaw rate sensor, lateral acceleration sensor, and speed sensor.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising estimating a front effective aligning stiffness based on the front total steering moment and the front tire slip angle.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising comparing the estimated front effective aligning stiffness with a reference front aligning stiffness to determine a tire cornering stiffness deviation.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising dynamically updating the reference front aligning stiffness based on vehicle conditions.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein sending a notification comprises providing feedback to a vehicle driver when the tire cornering stiffness deviation exceeds a specified value.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the feedback to the vehicle driver is current tire physical condition feedback.

17. A method for estimating and monitoring tire cornering power in a vehicle, comprising:

estimating a front effective aligning stiffness based on at least a change in front total steering moment and a change in front average tire slip angle;

comparing the estimated front effective aligning stiffness with a reference front aligning stiffness to determine a tire cornering stiffness deviation; and

providing feedback when the current tire cornering stiffness deviation exceeds a specified value.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising determining a maximum front effective aligning stiffness from a recursive improved estimate of the front effective aligning stiffness through multiple estimates over short periods of time, which make it applicable to nonlinear tire slip range.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the maximum front effective aligning stiffness is compared with the reference front aligning stiffness to determine the tire cornering stiffness deviation.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein estimates are made in 1 second intervals.