DEVICE FOR DETERMINING A CONTACT SURFACE LENGTH OF A VEHICLE TIRE

• US 20110132080A1
• Filed: 12/09/2010
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental AG, Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG), Paul Leitner-Wise, Robert Bernard Clark
• Original Assignee: Continental AG, Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: MÜLLER, OTTO, GRANDE, GUIDO, HASELSTEINER, MARIO
• Granted Patent: US 8,443,660 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/146
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/064 comprising tyre mounted deformation sensors, e.g. to determine road contact area

Abstract

An apparatus ascertains a contact area length of a vehicle tire. The apparatus has a transmission unit which has a resonator and which is set up to transmit a sensor signal at a defined frequency. A change in the frequency of the sensor signal on the basis of mechanical excitation of the resonator is indicative of a contact area length for the vehicle tire. Furthermore, the apparatus has a contact area length ascertainment unit which is set up to receive the sensor signal and to take the change in the frequency of the sensor signal as a basis for ascertaining the contact area length of the vehicle tire.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. An apparatus for ascertaining a contact area length of a vehicle tire, the apparatus comprising:

a transmission unit including a resonator, said transmission unit being configured to transmit a sensor signal at a defined frequency, wherein a change in the frequency of the sensor signal, based on a mechanical excitation of said resonator, is indicative of a contact area length of the vehicle tire; and

a contact area length ascertainment unit configured to receive the sensor signal and to use the change in the frequency of the sensor signal as a basis for ascertaining the contact area length of the vehicle tire.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said contact area length ascertainment unit comprises a comparison unit configured to compare the frequency of the sensor signal with a reference frequency.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said contact area length ascertainment unit comprises an evaluation unit connected to receive an output signal from said comparison unit and configured to ascertain the contact area length based on the output signal from said comparison unit.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said resonator is a mechanical resonator.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said resonator is a quartz oscillator.

17. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said transmission unit and said contact area length ascertainment unit are configured to communicate via a radio link.

18. The apparatus according to claim 12, configured as a tire module.

19. The apparatus according to claim 12, configured as a vehicle electronics module.

20. A vehicle, comprising an apparatus for ascertaining a contact area length for a vehicle tire according to claim 12.

21. A method of ascertaining a contact area length of a vehicle tire, the method which comprises:

transmitting a sensor signal at a defined frequency from a transmission unit, the transmission unit having a resonator and a change in the frequency of the sensor signal, based on a mechanical excitation of the resonator, being indicative of the contact area length of the vehicle tire;

receiving the sensor signal; and

ascertaining the contact area length of the vehicle tire based on the change in the frequency of the sensor signal.

22. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a program for ascertaining a contact area length for a vehicle tire, the program being configured, when executed by a computer, to perform or control the method according to claim 21.

23. A program element for ascertaining a contact area length for a vehicle tire which, when executed on a processor, is configured to perform or control the method according to claim 21.