WHEEL LOCALIZER, WHEEL LOCALIZATION DEVICE, SYSTEM, METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR LOCATING A POSITION OF A WHEEL

• US 20160129736A1
• Filed: 12/29/2015
• Published: 05/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Bodini, Emanuele Bruno, Peine, Andre, Kandler, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,093,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 19/00 Tyre parts or constructions not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2019/004 Tyre sensors other than for detecting tyre pressure
• 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: G01B 7/30 for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes

Abstract

Embodiments provide a device, a system, a method and a computer program for locating a plurality of positions of a plurality of wheels on a vehicle. The device comprises an input to obtain information related to a position of one wheel from the plurality of wheels, and a detector to obtain information related to rotational frequencies of the one wheel and of at least one other wheel of the plurality of wheels. The device further comprises a locator coupled to the input and to the detector. The locator is configured to determine information related to the position of the at least one other wheel based on the information related to the position of the one wheel and based on the information related to the rotational frequencies. Additionally or alternatively, an embodiment of the device may comprise one or more inputs to obtain information related to rotational frequencies of the plurality of wheels and information related to accelerations at the plurality of wheels. The device may further comprise a locator coupled to the one or more inputs. The locator is configured to determine the plurality of positions of the plurality of wheels based on the information related to the rotational frequencies of the plurality of wheels and based on the information related to the accelerations at the plurality of wheels.

Claims

1. A device for locating a plurality of positions of a plurality of wheels on a vehicle, comprising:

an input to obtain information related to a position of one wheel from the plurality of wheels;

a detector to obtain information related to rotational frequencies of the one wheel and of at least one other wheel of the plurality of wheels; and

a locator coupled to the input and to the detector, wherein the locator is configured to determine information related to the position of the at least one other wheel based on the information related to the position of the one wheel and based on the information related to the rotational frequencies.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the locator is configured to determine the information related to the position of the at least one other wheel based on at least one predetermined relation between a rotational frequency of the one wheel and a rotational frequency of the at least one other wheel, and/or wherein the detector comprises at least one of an acceleration sensor, an energy harvester, a shock sensor, a tire pressure monitoring system sensor, or an optical sensor to obtain a signal comprising the information related to the rotational frequencies of the one wheel and the at least one other wheel.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the input is configured to receive the information related to the position of the one wheel of the plurality of wheels from a radio frequency receiver, and/or wherein the information related to the position of the at least one wheel comprises information related to an identification of a tire pressure measurement module of a wheel at a predetermined position.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the locator is configured to use information on rotational frequencies for each of the plurality of wheels on the vehicle and to determine a position for each of the plurality of wheels on the vehicle based on the information on the plurality of rotational frequencies and the information related to the position of the one wheel.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the locator is configured to assign predefined positions on the vehicle to each of the plurality of wheels based on the information related to the plurality of rotational frequencies and information related to relations between the rotational frequencies of the plurality of wheels, wherein the relations are based on the geometry of predetermined positions of the plurality of wheels.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a car comprising four wheels as plurality of wheels, wherein the detector is configured to determine information related to relations of rotational frequencies of the four wheels, wherein the locator is configured to assign a predetermined position to each of the four wheels, wherein the locator is configured to assign the two wheels with the highest rotational frequencies to one side of the vehicle and the two wheels with the lowest rotational frequencies to the other side of the vehicle.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the locator is configured to determine a relation of the rotational frequencies between the one wheel and a wheel assigned to the same side as the one wheel, wherein the locator is configured to assign predetermined positions to the other wheels on the other side of the vehicle using the same relation.

8. A device for locating a plurality of positions of a plurality of wheels on a vehicle, comprising:

one or more inputs to obtain information related to rotational frequencies of the plurality of wheels and information related to accelerations at the plurality of wheels;

a locator coupled to the one or more inputs, wherein the locator is configured to determine the plurality of positions of the plurality of wheels based on the information related to the rotational frequencies of the plurality of wheels and based on the information related to the accelerations at the plurality of wheels.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the information related to the accelerations at the plurality of wheels comprises information related to accelerations of multiple directions at the plurality of wheels.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the locator is configured to determine the information related to the plurality of positions based on assigning predetermined wheel positions along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle and based on assigning predetermined wheel positions along a lateral axis of the vehicle.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the locator is configured to assign the predetermined wheel positions along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle based on the information related to the rotational frequencies of the plurality of the wheels and wherein the locator is configured to assign the predetermined positions along the lateral axis of the vehicle based on the information related to the acceleration at the plurality of the wheels.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of wheels comprises four wheels of a car having a front axis and a rear axis, wherein the locator is configured to determine whether a wheel is located on the front axis or on the back axis based on the information related to the rotational frequencies of the wheels, and wherein the locator is configured to determine whether a wheel is located on the right or left side of the car based on the information related to the accelerations at the four wheels.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein the information related to the rotational frequencies of the plurality of wheels device is obtained by taking multiple acceleration samples and fitting a periodical gravity influence signal based on the multiple acceleration samples.

14. The device of claim 8, wherein the information related to the acceleration comprises information related to tangential and radial acceleration at the four wheels.

15. A method for locating a plurality of positions of a plurality of wheels on a vehicle, comprising:

obtaining information related to rotational frequencies of the plurality of wheels;

obtaining information related to accelerations at the plurality of wheels;

determining the plurality of positions of the plurality of wheels based on the information related to the rotational frequencies of the plurality of wheels and based on the information related to the accelerations at the plurality of wheels.

16. The method according to 15, wherein determining the plurality of positions is based on taking multiple acceleration samples and fitting a periodical gravity influence signal.