INCLINATION ANGLE CALCULATION DEVICE

• US 20120310594A1
• Filed: 12/03/2010
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology
• Inventors: Watanabe, Yutaka
• Granted Patent: US 9,651,371 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/154
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2030/043 about the roll axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/145 Semi-trailers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/112 Roll movement
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/12 related to parameters of the vehicle itself , e.g. tyre models
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/147 Trailers, e.g. full trailers or caravans
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/06 Electric or photoelectric indication or reading means
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/122 Determining position of centre of gravity

Abstract

An inclination angle calculation device comprises a motion detector for detecting motions of a traveling object during travel, in two directions included in a cross-section surface of the traveling object, the two directions being orthogonal with each other; and an arithmetic unit for calculating an inclination angle of the traveling object during travel in the cross-section surface, using a frequency of the motion in one of the two directions and a rolling frequency in the other direction of the two directions.

Claims

1. An inclination angle calculation device comprising:

a motion detector for detecting motions of a traveling object during travel, in two directions included in a cross-section surface of the traveling object, the two directions being orthogonal with each other; and

an arithmetic unit for calculating an inclination angle of the traveling object during travel in the cross-section surface, using a frequency of the motion in one of the two directions and a rolling frequency in the other direction of the two directions.

2. The inclination angle calculation device according to claim 1, wherein the cross-section surface is perpendicular to a travel direction of the traveling object, and one of the two directions is a self-weight direction of the traveling object while the other direction is a width direction of the traveling object.

3. The inclination angle calculation device according to claim 1, wherein the traveling object is a container cargo vehicle towed by a towing vehicle.

4. The inclination angle calculation device according to claim 2, wherein when the motion in the self-weight direction corresponds to a vertical reciprocation motion in which a center of gravity of the traveling object is a mass point, the motion in the width direction corresponds to a horizontal simple pendulum motion in which an axle center of the traveling object in the width direction is a support point, and the center of gravity of the traveling object is a mass point,

the arithmetic unit converts output data of the motion detector into rolling data that represents a correlation between a frequency and an amplitude of the simple pendulum motion, and obtains a frequency of the simple pendulum motion in correspondence with a peak amplitude of the simple pendulum motion which is derived from a predetermined width dimension of the traveling object on the basis of the rolling data,

further converts the output data of the motion detector into pitching data that represents a correlation between a frequency and an amplitude of the reciprocation motion, and obtains a frequency of the reciprocation motion corresponding to a maximum amplitude of the reciprocation motion on the basis of the pitching data, and

derives a central angle of the simple pendulum motion as the inclination angle using the predetermined width dimension of the traveling object, the obtained frequency of the simple pendulum motion, and the obtained frequency of the reciprocation motion.

5. The inclination angle calculation device according to claim 1, wherein the motions in the two directions are movements due to external disturbances applied to the traveling object during travel on a road surface by irregularities of the road surface.

6. The inclination angle calculation device according claim 1, wherein the motion detector includes an angular velocity sensor mounted on the traveling object, angular velocity sensitive axes of the sensor being adjusted in the two directions.

7. The inclination angle calculation device according to claim 4,

wherein the arithmetic unit calculates the central angle according to an expression showing a relation among the predetermined width dimension of the traveling object, the obtained frequency of the simple pendulum motion, the obtained frequency of the reciprocation motion, and the central angle of the simple pendulum motion.

8. The inclination angle calculation device according to claim 7,

wherein when the predetermined width dimension of the traveling object is b, the obtained frequency of the simple pendulum motion is v, the obtained frequency of the reciprocation motion is v′

, and the central angle of the simple pendulum motion is α

, the expression is represented by a formula;

9. A center-of-gravity detection device into which the inclination angle calculation device according to claim 4 is incorporated,

wherein the arithmetic unit calculates the location of the center of gravity of the traveling object in the cross-section surface, based on the predetermined width dimension of the traveling object, the obtained frequency of the simple pendulum motion, the obtained frequency of the reciprocation motion, and the central angle of the simple pendulum motion.