Method and system for recognizing driving-dynamic states of a vehicle

• US 6,604,026 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2002
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lucas Varity GmbH (Automotive Investors LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucas Varity GmbH (Automotive Investors LLC)
• Inventors: Schmitt, Hubert
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US10/133,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20030004614A1
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/7, 701/8, 701/69, 731/46, 731/462, 731/464, 731/468, 200/61.22, 340/442, 340/445
• US Class Current: 701/1
• 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: B60T 2210/12 Friction
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/172 Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters B60T8/17551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17551 determining control parameters related to vehicle stability used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters

Abstract

A method and a system for recongnizing both a driving-dynamic state of a vehicle and a surface quality of the carriageway of which the vehicle is moving. The pressures of the tires of the vehicle are measured and evaluated so that conclusions can be draw on both current driving-dynamic states and existing surface qualities of the carriageway.

Claims

1. Method for recognizing driving-dynamic states of a vehicle, with the following steps:

isochronous measurement of respectively one reference pressure for each of at least two tires of the vehicle,

isochronous measurement of respectively one current pressure for each of the at least two tires,

comparison of the reference pressure of the at least two tires with, respectively, the corresponding current measured pressure, for the purpose of determining a variation of the pressure for each of the at least two tires,

comparison of the pressure variations of the at least two tires, and

evaluation of the determined pressure variations of the at least two tires and of the comparison of the same, for the purpose of generating driving state information which indicates the driving-dynamic state of the vehicle.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that

the reference pressures of the at least two tires are at least one of measured for a predefined driving-dynamic state of the vehicle and measured on a carriageway with a predefined surface quality.

3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the isochronous measurement of the current pressure for the at least two tires is performed

continuously,

repeatedly at predetermined instants,

continuously for a predetermined interval of time, and

repeatedly at predetermined instants for a predetermined interval of time.

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that at least one of the predetermined instants and the intervals of time are varied in dependence on driving-dynamic states of the vehicle.

5. Method according to claim 3, characterized by

comparison of at least two pressure variations, occurring in temporal succession, of at least one of the at least two tires, for the purpose of determining a temporal course of the pressure variations of the tire.

6. Method according to claim 5, characterized by

comparison of the pressure variations of the at least two tires for at least two pressure variations occurring in temporal succession, for the purpose of determining a temporal course of the pressure variations of the at least two tires.

7. Method according to claim 6, characterized by

evaluation of the temporal course of the pressure variations for at least one of the at least two tires.

8. Method according to claim 3, characterized by

evaluation of at least two comparisons of the isochronously occurring pressure variations of the at least two tires for temporally successive instants at which isochronously occurring pressure variations were measured.

9. Method according to claim 6, characterized by

evaluation of the temporal course of the pressure variations of the at least two tires.

10. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that

the driving state information is generated on the basis of at least one of the evaluation of the temporal course of the pressure variations for at least one of the at least two tires,

an evaluation of at least two comparisons of the isochronously occurring pressure variations of the at least two tires for temporally successive instants at which isochronously occurring pressure variations were measured, and

an evaluation of the temporal course of the pressure variations of the at least two tires.

11. Method according to claim 5, characterized by

evaluation of the comparison of the temporal course of the pressure variations for at least one of the at least two tires, for the purpose of generating carriageway information which indicates the surface quality of the carriageway.

12. Method according to claim 11, characterized by

evaluation of the comparison of the temporal course of the pressure variations of the at least two tires, for the purpose of generating the carriageway information.

13. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that

at least one of the driving state information and the carriageway information is used for controlling devices of the vehicle which at least one of stabilize and control the driving state of the vehicle.

14. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that

further sensors for recognizing driving-dynamic states of the vehicle are controlled by use of at least one of the driving state information and the carriageway information.

15. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that

the driving state information is generated on the basis of at least one of an evaluation of the temporal course of the pressure variations for at least one of the at least two tires,

the evaluation of at least two comparisons of the isochronously occurring pressure variations of the at least two tires for temporally successive instants at which isochronously occurring pressure variations were measured, and

an evaluation of the temporal course of the pressure variations of the at least two tires.

16. Method according to claim 9, characterized in that

the driving state information is generated on the basis of at least one of an evaluation of the temporal course of the pressure variations for at least one of the at least two tires,

an evaluation of at least two comparisons of the isochronously occurring pressure variations of the at least two tires for temporally successive instants at which isochronously occurring pressure variations were measured, and

the evaluation of the temporal course of the pressure variations of the at least two tires.

17. System for recognizing driving-dynamic states of a vehicle, comprising:

pressure sensors which are respectively arranged for the purpose of measuring tire pressures of at least two tires of the vehicle, and

a processor unit which is connected to the pressure sensors and receives and evaluates signals from the pressure sensors which respectively indicate the pressures measured by the corresponding pressure sensor, characterized in that

driving state signals generated by the processor unit on the basis of the signals of the pressure sensors indicate a driving-dynamic state of the vehicle.

18. System according to claim 17, characterized by

carriageway signals generated by the processor unit which, on the basis of the signals of the pressure sensors, indicate a surface quality of the carriageway on which the vehicle is moving.

19. System according to claim 17, characterized by

at least one driving stability controller, connected to the processor unit, for at least one of stabilizing and monitoring the driving-dynamic state of the vehicle on the basis of the signals generated by the processor unit.

20. System according to claim 19, characterized in that

a control unit is connected between the processor unit and the at least one driving stability controller, and

at least one driving state sensor is connected to the control unit.

21. System according to claim 20, characterized by

signals, generated by the control unit, for the at least one driving stability controller which are based on at least one of the driving state signals and signals from the at least one driving state sensor.

22. System according to claim 20, characterized in that

the processor unit is connected to the at least one driving state sensor in order to obtain signals from the at least one driving state sensor for the purpose of generating at least one of the driving state signals and the carriageway signals.

23. System according to claim 17, characterized by

at least one driving stability controller, connected to the processor unit, for at least one of stabilizing and controlling the driving-dynamic state of the vehicle on the basis of the signals generated by the processor unit.