Wheel pressure-reduction determining system for vehicle

• US 5,866,812 A
• Filed: 10/09/1996
• Issued: 02/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nishihara, Takashi, Yamamoto, Osamu, Yano, Osamu, Shiraishi, Shuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Biegel, Ronald L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AMROZOWICZ, PAUL DOUGLAS
• Application Number:
  US08/729,242
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 73/146.2, 73/146.5, 340/442, 340/443, 340/444, 701/29, 701/71
• US Class Current: 73/146.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/061 by monitoring wheel speed measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles G01C22/00

Abstract

A reduction in tire pressure in follower wheels and driven wheels is precisely determined irrespective of slipping states of the driven wheels through the use of apparatus wherein in a driven wheel slip amount calculating means M4 calculates a driven wheel slip amount KIDD as a left and right follower wheel speed difference FID and a left and right driven wheel speed difference RID; in a driven wheel torque calculating means M5, a driven wheel torque TQDW is calculated; in a driven wheel slip amount estimating means M6, a characteristic of variation in driven wheel slip amount KIDD relative to the variation in driven wheel torque TQDW is estimated using a least squares method; in a deviation calculating means M7, a deviation CKID between the follower wheel speed difference FID and the driven wheel speed difference RID in a state in which the driven wheels are not slipping, is calculated as an intercept of the driven wheel slip amount KIDD at a driven wheel torque equal to 0 (zero) in a graph of the variation characteristic; and in a wheel pressure-reduction determining means M8, a reduction in tire pressure is determined from a difference in diameter between the follower wheels and the driven wheels by comparing the deviation CKID with a reference value.

Claims

1. A wheel pressure-reduction determining system for a vehicle, comprising:

a follower wheel speed difference calculating means (M1) for calculating a follower wheel speed difference (FID) as a difference between left and right follower wheel speeds (VWNL and VWNR);

a driven wheel speed difference calculating means (M2) for calculating a driven wheel speed difference (RID) as a difference between left and right driven wheel speeds (VWDL and VWDR);

a driven wheel slip amount calculating means (M4) for calculating a driven wheel slip amount (KIDD) of said follower and driven wheel speeds as a deviation between both said speed differences (FID and RID);

a driven wheel torque calculating means (M5) for calculating a driven wheel torque (TQDW) based on an engine torque;

a driven wheel slip amount estimating means (M6) for estimating a characteristic of variation in said driven wheel slip amount (KIDD) relative to the driven wheel torque (TQDW), based on said driven wheel slip amount (KIDD) and said driven wheel torque (TQDW);

a deviation calculating means (M7) for calculating a deviation (CKID) between both said speed differences (FID and RID) of said follower and driven wheel speeds as said driven wheel slip amount (KIDD) at the time when the driven wheel torque (TQDW) is zero, from said variation characteristic estimated by said driven wheel slip amount estimating means (M6); and

a wheel pressure-reduction determining means (M8) for determining a reduction in pressure of follower wheels (W_FL and W_FR) an driven wheels (W_RL and W_RR) by comparing said deviation (CKID) calculated by said deviation calculating means (M7) with a predetermined reference value.

2. A wheel pressure-reduction determining system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said driven wheel slip amount estimating means (M6) obtains data for estimating said variation characteristic of the driven wheel slip amount (KIDD) relative to the driven wheel torque (TQDW) in each of plurality of torque areas classified depending upon the magnitude of the driven wheel torque (TQDW), and obtains data in the torque areas including a state of driven wheel torque of zero in an amount larger than the amount of data in other torque areas.

3. A wheel pressure-reduction determining system for a vehicle comprising:

a follower wheel speed difference calculating means (M1) for calculating a follower wheel speed difference (FID) as a difference between left and right follower wheel speeds (VWNL and VWNR);

a driven wheel speed difference calculating means (M2) for calculating a driven wheel speed difference (RID) as a difference between left and right driven wheel speeds (VWDL and VWDR);

a driven wheel slip amount calculating means (M4) for calculating a driven wheel slip amount (KIDD) of said follower and driven wheel speeds as a deviation between both said speed differences (FID and RID);

a driven wheel torque calculating means (M5) for calculating a driven wheel torque (TQDW) based on an engine torque;

a driven wheel slip amount estimating means (M6) for estimating a characteristic of variation in said driven wheel slip amount (KIDD) relative to the driven wheel torque (TQDW), based on said driven wheel slip amount (KIDD) and said driven wheel torque (TQDW);

a deviation calculating means (M7) for calculating a deviation (CKID) between both said speed differences (FID and RID) of said follower and driven wheel speeds as said driven wheel slip amount (KIDD) at the time when the driven wheel torque (TODW) is zero, from said variation characteristic estimated by said driven wheel slip amount estimating means (M6); and

a wheel pressure-reduction determining means (M8) for determining a reduction in pressure of follower wheels (W_FL and W_FR) an driven wheels (W_RL and W_RR) by comparing said deviation (CKID) calculated by said deviation calculating means (M7) with a predetermined reference value,

wherein said driven wheel slip amount estimating means (M6) includes a driven wheel torque area limiting means (M3) for limiting a torque area for obtaining data for estimating said variation characteristic in accordance with a friction coefficient of road surface.