WADING DEPTH ESTIMATION FOR A VEHICLE
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for use in a vehicle, comprising:
- receiving a signal from one or more sensors indicating wading and wading depth;
receiving a signal from a sensor indicating attitude of the vehicle; and
estimating, based upon;
(i) a wading depth (D) as indicated by said signal from one or more sensors, (ii) attitude as indicated by said signal from said sensor; and
(iii) a distance (Rmax) in advance of the location of the vehicle and/or a maximum wading depth (Dmax) of the vehicle, a depth of water at a location ahead of the vehicle substantially in the direction of vehicle movement and/or the distance, ahead of the vehicle substantially in the direction of vehicle movement, to a maximum wading depth.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A predictive method of detecting the depth of water ahead of a wading vehicle comprises providing a wading sensor and an attitude sensor on the vehicle, and using this information to estimate the depth of water at a location ahead of the direction of vehicle movement. Corresponding apparatus is disclosed.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A method for use in a vehicle, comprising:
-
receiving a signal from one or more sensors indicating wading and wading depth; receiving a signal from a sensor indicating attitude of the vehicle; and estimating, based upon;
(i) a wading depth (D) as indicated by said signal from one or more sensors, (ii) attitude as indicated by said signal from said sensor; and
(iii) a distance (Rmax) in advance of the location of the vehicle and/or a maximum wading depth (Dmax) of the vehicle, a depth of water at a location ahead of the vehicle substantially in the direction of vehicle movement and/or the distance, ahead of the vehicle substantially in the direction of vehicle movement, to a maximum wading depth. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
- 8. A vehicle comprising a wading depth sensor, an attitude sensor and a control unit configured to use signals issued by said wading depth and attitude sensors to compute an estimated wading depth at a location ahead of the direction of vehicle movement and/or to compute a distance ahead of the direction of vehicle movement to maximum wading depth.
- 15. A system for a vehicle, the system comprising a control unit, a sensor for determining vehicle tilt and a sensor for indicating wading depth, wherein the control unit is configured to estimate wading depth in advance of a location of a vehicle and/or configured to estimate a maximum range of a vehicle in advance of a location of a vehicle, wherein said estimations are based upon a wading depth (D) as determined by the sensor for indicating wading depth, tilt as determined by the sensor for determining vehicle tilt and a distance (Rmax) in advance of the location of the vehicle and/or a maximum wading depth (Dmax) of the vehicle.
-
19. (canceled)
-
19-1. (canceled)
Specification