METHOD AND MEASUREMENT SYSTEM FOR LOCALIZING AT LEAST ONE WHEEL ON A MOTOR VEHICLE

• US 20100063669A1
• Filed: 09/08/2009
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Fink, Alexander, Haas, Thomas, Kuchler, Gregor
• Granted Patent: US 8,798,850 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/32
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0488 Movement sensor, e.g. for sensing angular speed, acceleration or centripetal force
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/007 Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles G01M17/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and a measurement system are specified for localizing at least one wheel on a motor vehicle. In this case the operating situation of the motor vehicle and the wheel load of the at least one wheel and/or a variable dependent on this is determined. Then the at least one measured value of the wheel load is compared with a value assigned to the operating situation. As an alternative or in addition, the comparison of at least one parameter dependent on at least two measured values can be undertaken with at least one of the parameters assigned to this operating situation. Finally the point on the motor vehicle at which the wheel is mounted is determined on the basis of the comparison results.

Claims

1. A method for localizing at least one wheel on a motor vehicle, which comprises the steps of:

a) determining an operating situation of the motor vehicle;

b) detecting at least one of a wheel load of the at least one wheel and a variable dependent on the wheel load;

c) performing at least one of;

comparing at least one detected measured value of the wheel load with at least one value assigned to the operating situation; and

comparing at least one parameter dependent on at least two measured values of the wheel load with at least one further parameter assigned to the operating situation; and

d) determining a point on the motor vehicle at which the wheel is mounted based on a comparison result.

2. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises providing at least one of a size of a wheel contact area and a time taken to pass through the wheel contact area as the variable dependent on the wheel load.

3. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises selecting the parameter, being a measurement value-dependent parameter, from the group consisting of a difference in measured values between at least two wheels, a quotient of the measured values of the at least two wheels, a change over time of the measured values of the at least one wheel, average values, a statistical distribution of the wheel loads, a statistical distributions of one of the above parameters, a ranking of the wheel loads, and a ranking of one of the above parameters.

4. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises:

selecting the operating situation from the group consisting of acceleration, braking, negotiating a curve, vehicle stationary, vehicle pulling away at a constant speed and a person getting into or out of the vehicle; and

selecting the further parameter for determining the operating situation from the group consisting of longitudinal acceleration of the motor vehicle, transverse acceleration of the motor vehicle, braking data, vehicle speed, steering wheel angle, gas pedal position, motor data, overall weight of the motor vehicle, spring travel at a damper assigned to the wheel and force which is applied by a damper assigned to the wheel.

5. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises:

in a first step, determining an axle to which the wheel is attached; and

in a second step, determining a vehicle side on which the wheel is disposed.

6. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises executing steps b) to d) on an occurrence of a predetermined operating situation.

7. A measurement system for localizing at least one wheel on a motor vehicle, the measurement system comprising:

means for determining an operating situation of the motor vehicle;

detection means detecting at least one of a wheel load of the at least one wheel and a variable dependent on the wheel load;

comparison means for comparing at least one of;

at least one measured value of the wheel load with at least one value assigned to the operating situation; and

comparing at least one parameter dependent on at least two measured values with at least one further parameter assigned to the operating situation; and

means for determining a point on the motor vehicle on which the wheel is mounted, based on a comparison result.

8. The measurement system according to claim 7, further comprising a semiconductor chip, said means for determining the operating situation, said comparison means and said means for determining the point on the motor vehicle at which the wheel is mounted are disposed in said semiconductor chip and said detection means represent at least one input of said semiconductor chip.

9. The measurement system according to claim 7, further comprising at least one sensor for detecting at least one of the wheel load of the at least one wheel and the variable dependent on the wheel load.

10. The measurement system according to claim 7, wherein at least one of a size of a wheel contact area and a time taken to pass through the wheel contact area is provided as the variable dependent on the wheel load.

11. The measurement system according to claim 7, wherein the parameter, being a measurement-value-dependent parameter, is selected from the group consisting of a difference in measured values between at least two wheels, a quotient of measured values of at least two wheels, a change over time of the measured values of at least one wheel, average values, a statistical distribution of the wheel loads, a statistical distribution of one of the above parameters, a ranking of the wheel loads, and a ranking of one of the above parameters.

12. The measurement system according to claim 7, wherein:

the operating situation is selected from the group consisting of acceleration, braking, negotiating a curve, vehicle stationary, vehicle pulling away at a constant speed, and a person getting into or out of the vehicle; and

the further parameter for determining the operating situation is selected from the group consisting of a longitudinal acceleration of the motor vehicle, a transverse acceleration of the motor vehicle, braking data, vehicle speed, steering wheel angle, gas pedal position, motor data, overall weight of the motor vehicle, spring travel at a damper assigned to the wheel, and force which is applied by a damper assigned to the wheel.