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• US 20180023998A1
• Filed: 07/21/2017
• Published: 01/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Strak, Dieter, Waibel, Anton, Mumcu, mer
• Granted Patent: US 10,480,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0232 for measuring vehicle parameters and indicating critical, abnormal or dangerous conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0234 related to maintenance or repairing of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/035 using electrical weight-sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/086 wherein the vehicle mass is dynamically estimated
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 9/00 Methods of, or apparatus for, the determination of weight, not provided for in groups G01G1/00 - G01G7/00

Abstract

One general aspect of the present disclosure includes a control device for use in a vehicle. The control device may include a first counter and a second counter, where the first counter is assigned to a first weight range and the second counter is assigned to a second weight range. The control device may be configured to execute the following steps in an iterative manner: determination of an overall weight of the vehicle, and incrimination of the first counter when the overall weight falls within the first range.

Claims

1. A control device for use in a vehicle, comprising:

a first counter and a second counter,

wherein the first counter is assigned to a first weight range and the second counter is assigned to a second weight range,

wherein the control device is configured to execute the following steps in an iterative manner;

determination of an overall weight of the vehicle; and

incrimination of the first counter when the overall weight falls within the first range.

2. The control device of claim 1, wherein the control device is further configured to incrementing the second counter when the overall weight falls within the second range.

3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the control device determines the overall weight on the basis of a torque.

4. The control device according to claim 3, wherein the torque is present at a vehicle transmission shaft.

5. The control device according to claim 3, wherein the control device determines the overall weight on the basis of at least an acceleration of the vehicle.

6. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one non-volatile memory, wherein the control device stores the first counter and the second counter in the memory when the vehicle is shut down.

7. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a third counter, wherein the third counter is assigned to a third weight range, and wherein the control device is configured to increment the third counter when the overall weight of the vehicle falls within the third weight range.

8. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the first weight range and the second weight range do not overlap.

9. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the steps executed by the control device are executed in a time-controlled manner.

10. A vehicle having a control device according to claim 1.

11. A method comprising:

determining an overall weight of a vehicle with a control device, the control device having a first counter and a second counter; and

incrementing one of the first counter and the second counter when the overall weight falls respectively within a first range or a second range.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising initializing the first counter and the second counter with zero.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the steps are executed in an iterative manner.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising reading out the first counter and the second counter with a detection system.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the control device determines the overall weight on the basis of a torque.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the torque is present at a vehicle transmission shaft.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the control device determines the overall weight on the basis of at least an acceleration of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one non-volatile memory stores the first counter and the second counter when the vehicle is shut down.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the control device further comprises a third counter, wherein the third counter is assigned to a third weight range, and wherein the control device is configured to increment the third counter when the overall weight of the vehicle falls within the third weight range.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the control device further comprises a third counter, wherein the third counter is assigned to a third weight range, and wherein the control device is configured to increment the third counter when the overall weight of the vehicle falls within the third weight range.