INTEGRATED WIRELESS DATA SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLY

• US 20180072113A1
• Filed: 09/12/2017
• Published: 03/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TECAT Performance Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: TECAT Performance Systems LLC
• Inventors: Baker, Douglas Martin
• Granted Patent: US 10,239,365 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0455 Transmission control of wireless signals
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/22 Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/02 Wheel hubs or castors
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2066/001 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2066/003 Position, angle or speed
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2066/005 Force, torque, stress or strain
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 66/00 Arrangements for monitoring working conditions, e.g. wear, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 66/028 with non-electrical sensors or signal transmission, e.g. magnetic, optical

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to an integrated wireless data system and method for mounting the system on one or more components within a vehicle wheel hub assembly for measuring operational data relating to the condition or status of a brake rotor or other components within a wheel hub assembly, where the integrated wireless data system rotates with the vehicle wheel.

Claims

1. An integrated wireless data system for measuring operational characteristics of a wheel hub assembly in a vehicle, comprising:

a remote unit having at least one sensor and a remote transceiver and an A/D converter and a microprocessor for measuring operational data of the wheel hub assembly;

said remote unit including a power source connected to and providing power to said remote unit;

a base unit having a base transceiver and a microprocessor connected to and in communication with a data acquisition system; and

said remote unit and base unit wirelessly communicating with one another to exchange the operational data in real-time and bi-directionally.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said remote unit includes a power management strategy for optimizing a life of said power source, including a sleep mode for said remote unit when said remote unit is not in use.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said remote unit contains an energy harvesting device to charge said power source and further prolong the life of said power source.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said remote unit is mounted on the wheel hub assembly.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said at least one sensor includes a thermocouple mounted to a brake rotor coupled to the wheel hub assembly and connected to said remote unit, wherein said remote unit is configured to measure a temperature of the brake rotor.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said base unit is adapted to send a signal to said remote unit to alter data acquisition parameters of the operational data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said base unit includes onboard storage to store the operational data for later analysis.

8. A method for measuring operational characteristics of a wheel hub assembly under real-world operating conditions, comprising the steps of:

installing a remote unit on a component of the wheel hub assembly;

measuring the operational characteristics of the wheel hub assembly using the remote unit; and

wirelessly transmitting the operational characteristics of the wheel hub assembly to a base unit.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the component of the wheel hub assembly is the wheel hub.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the base unit is located within the vehicle

11. A method to configure an integrated wireless data system including a base unit in wireless communication with a remote unit and said base unit connected to data acquisition system to collect operational characteristics of the wheel hub assembly, comprising the steps of:

installing the remote unit to the wheel hub assembly;

collecting data associated with the operational characteristics using the remote unit and the base unit of the integrated wireless data system;

connecting the base unit to a data acquisition system; and

configuring the data acquisition system to store the collected data for processing.