METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONTINUOUSLY DETERMINING WHEEL STATE VARIABLES OF A WHEEL

• US 20110282548A1
• Filed: 01/18/2010
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Haas, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,061,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2240/04 Tire deformation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1725 Using tyre sensors, e.g. Sidewall Torsion sensors [SWT] for tyre pressure and temperature detection B60C23/00

Abstract

In order to more accurately determine wheel state variables of a wheel, physical variables of the wheels are continuously measured and evaluated on the vehicle side. In addition, physical variables of the wheel are intermittently measured on the wheel side. The variables measured on the wheel side or the evaluated measurement results thereof are used to correct the variables measured on the vehicle side and/or the determined wheel state variables.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A method of determining a wheel state variable of a tire, the method which comprises:

continuously measuring, on a vehicle side, physical variables of a wheel, the physical variables including a tire pressure and a length of a tire contact area;

evaluating the physical variables in a central, vehicle-side evaluation unit, in order to determine one or more wheel state variables;

intermittently measuring, on a wheel side, physical variables in the wheel; and

correcting the physical variables measured on the vehicle side, or of the wheel state variables using the physical variables measured on the wheel side.

13. The method according to claim 12, which comprises determining a wheel load as a wheel state variable.

14. The method according to claim 12, which comprises periodically measuring the physical variables on the wheel side and/or periodically transmitting measurement signals representing the physical variables.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein an unbalance mass is present at the wheel or mounted to the wheel.

16. The method according to claim 15, which comprises determining a variation of the physical variables on the vehicle side using the wheel-side unbalance, and deriving the physical variable from the determined variation.

17. A device for continuously determining wheel state variables of a tire of a vehicle, the device comprising:

wheel-side measuring devices each disposed in a respective wheel and configured for intermittently measuring physical variables of the wheel, the physical variables including a tire pressure and a length of a tire contact area;

vehicle-side measuring devices each mounted to the vehicle in a vicinity of a respective wheel and configured for continuously measuring physical variables of the wheel, the physical variables including the tire pressure and the length of the tire contact area; and

a control and evaluation unit connected to receive the measured physical variables from said wheel-side measuring devices and from said vehicle-side measuring devices and configured to evaluate the physical variables, said control and evaluation unit having a correction device for correcting the variables measured on the vehicle side, or wheel state variables determined therefrom, using the physical variables measured on the wheel side, or wheel state variables determined therefrom.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein said wheel-side measuring devices are devices for measuring tire pressure or deformation.

19. The device according to claim 17, wherein said vehicle-side measuring devices are parts of control devices used in the vehicle for controlling vehicle functions in terms of vehicle movement dynamics.

20. The device according to claim 17, wherein the wheels are wheels of a passenger car, truck, motor cycle, utility vehicle, or aircraft.

21. The device according to claim 17, wherein an unbalance mass is present on the wheel side and mounted on the wheel.