Anti-lock brake system and sensor unit for the same

• US 7,481,501 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2004
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Inventors: Hatano, Yasuo, Hattori, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwartz; Christopher P
• Application Number:
  US10/547,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20060170281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,686 Days
• Field of Search: 303/20, 303/193, 303/185, 303/15, 303/183, 188/1.11 L, 188/1.11 E, 340435-441, 340/466, 340/467, 301/95.101, 701/1, 701/29, 701/70, 701/72
• US Class Current: 303/182
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2240/04 Tire deformation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1725 Using tyre sensors, e.g. Sidewall Torsion sensors [SWT] for tyre pressure and temperature detection B60C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/123 by piezo-resistive elements, e.g. semiconductor strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/084 the mass being suspended at more than one of its sides, e.g. membrane-type suspension, so as to permit multi-axis movement of the mass
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/481 of pulse signals

Abstract

An anti-lock brake system and a sensor unit for the system, where acceleration occurring in a wheel is easily detected with high accuracy to perform braking control of a motor vehicle. Sensor units (100) having acceleration sensors that detect acceleration occurring, with the rotation of tires (300), in X, Y, and Z directions including the tire rotating direction are provided on rotating bodies of rotation mechanism portions including each tire (300). The sensor units (100) transmit digital values of the detected result as digital information by an electromagnetic wave. The digital information is received by a monitor device (200) provided on each tire house, and an acceleration value obtained by calculation is outputted to a brake control unit (600). The brake control unit (600) estimates a strain amount of each tire (300) based on the obtained acceleration value and previously memorized strain characteristic information, controls a pressure regulating valve (630) based on the estimated tire strain amount and a detected result of a rotating speed of each tire (300), and drives a brake driving actuator (640).

Claims

1. A vehicle anti-lock brake system constituted so as to drive a brake driving actuator in accordance with detection results of a vehicle brake operating state and generate a target braking force, comprising:

a rotating mechanism portion, said portion including a body of rotation configured to operably connect a wheel to a vehicle body side and to rotate the wheel;

a sensor unit, said sensor unit configured to;

detect a first acceleration and a second acceleration, the first acceleration being in a direction orthogonal to a rotating shaft in accordance with rotation, and the second acceleration being in the rotating direction,

convert the detected first and second accelerations into first and second digital values, and

transmit the first and second digital values;

a monitor system configured to;

receive the transmitted first and second digital values,

obtain the detected first and second accelerations;

obtain a speed of the vehicle from the obtained detected first acceleration; and

obtain a rotating speed per unit time of the wheel from the obtained detected second acceleration; and

a driving component configured to drive the brake driving actuator based at least partly on the obtained first and second accelerations,

wherein said sensor unit is operably connected to said rotating mechanism portion.

2. The anti-lock brake system according to claim 1,

wherein the sensor unit is configured to:

detect a third acceleration, the third acceleration being in the rotating-shaft direction,

convert the detected third acceleration into a third digital value, and

transmit the third digital value,

wherein the monitor system is configured to;

obtain the detected third acceleration, and

detect rolling or horizontal movement of the rotating mechanism portion from the obtained detected third acceleration, and

wherein the driving component is configured to drive the brake driving actuator based at least partly on the obtained first, second, and third accelerations.

3. The anti-lock brake system according to claim 1, characterized in that

wherein the sensor unit is configured to:

detect a change of the second acceleration,

determine a rotating speed per unit time based at least partly on the detected change of the second acceleration,

convert the determined rotating speed into a rotating speed digital value, and

transmit the rotating speed digital value to the monitor system,

wherein the monitor system is configure to receive the rotating speed digital value, and

wherein the driving component is configured to drive the brake driving actuator based at least partly on the obtained first and second accelerations and the determined rotating speed.

4. The anti-lock brake system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit is operably connected to the body of rotation.

5. The anti-lock brake system according to claim 1,

wherein the sensor unit is configured to:

receive electromagnetic waves of a first frequency,

convert energy of the received electromagnetic waves into driving electric energy, and

transmit said digital value using electromagnetic waves of a second frequency, the transmitting being controlled using the driving electric energy, and

wherein the monitor system is configured to;

radiate electromagnetic waves of the first frequency,

receive electromagnetic waves of the second frequency; and

extract the digital values from the received electromagnetic waves of the second frequency.

6. The anti-lock brake system according to claim 5, wherein the first frequency is equal to the second frequency.

7. The anti-lock brake system according to claim 1,

wherein the sensor unit is configured to store identification information specific to its own and to transmit digital information including the first and second digital values and the identification information, and

wherein the monitor system is configured to identify the rotating mechanism portion in accordance with the identification information.

8. The anti-lock brake system according to claim 1,

wherein the sensor unit comprises a semiconductor acceleration sensor comprising a silicon-piezo-type diaphragm for detecting accelerations orthogonal to each other.

9. The anti-lock brake system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rotating speed detecting component operably connected to the rotating mechanism portion, the rotating speed detecting component configured to detect a first rotating speed per unit time of the wheel and to transmit the detected first rotating speed to the monitor system,

wherein the sensor unit is configured to;

detect a change of the second acceleration,

detect a second rotating speed per unit time in accordance with the change of the second acceleration,

convert the detected second rotating speed into a rotating speed digital value, and

transmit digital information including the first and second digital values and the rotating speed digital

wherein the monitor system is configured to;

receive the transmitted first rotating speed,

receive the transmitted second rotating speed from the sensor unit, and

determine whether the first rotating speed is equal to the second rotating speed.

10. The anti-lock brake system according to claim 9,

wherein the rotating speed detecting component is operably connected to the body of rotation,

wherein the rotating speed detecting component comprises a disk whose periphery has a plurality of concave and convex portions, and

wherein the rotating speed detecting component is configured to generate a magnetic field and to detect a voltage according to a change of the magnetic field.

11. The anti-lock brake system according to claim 9,

wherein the rotating speed detecting mechanism is configured to convert the detected first rotating speed into a first rotating speed digital signal,

wherein the monitor system is configured to convert the rotating speed digital value into a second rotating speed digital signal, and

wherein the monitor system is configured to determine whether the first rotating speed is equal to the second rotating speed in accordance with the first rotating speed digital signal and the second rotating speed digital signal.

12. The anti-lock brake system according to claim 11,

wherein the monitor system is configured to convert the rotating speed digital value into a second rotating speed digital value by multiplying the second rotating speed digital value by a predetermined value and converting the multiplication value into the second rotating speed digital signal comprising a period equal to the reciprocal of the multiplication value.

13. The anti-lock brake system according to claim 11,

wherein the monitor system is configured to determine that the first rotating speed is equal to the second rotating speed when the oscillations of the first rotating speed digital signal are generated for every predetermined multiples of a period of the second rotating speed digital signal.

14. The anti-lock brake system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rotating speed detecting component operably connected to the rotating mechanism portion, the rotating speed detecting component being configured to detect a first running speed according to the rotation of the wheel and to transmit the detected first running speed to the monitor system,

wherein the sensor unit is configured to;

detect a change of the first acceleration,

detect a second running speed per unit time in accordance with the change of the first acceleration,

to convert the detected second running speed into a second running speed digital value, and

to transmit digital information including the first and second digital values and the second running speed digital value to the monitor system, and

wherein the monitor system is configured to;

receive the detected first running speed from the rotating speed detecting component,

receive the detected second running speed from the sensor unit, and

to determine whether the first running speed is equal to the second running speed.

15. The anti-lock brake system according to claim 14,

wherein the rotating speed detecting component is operably connected to the body of rotation, and

wherein the rotating speed detecting component comprises has a disk whose periphery has a plurality of concave and convex portions at equal intervals,

wherein the rotating speed detecting component is configured to generate a magnetic field, and

wherein the rotating speed detecting component is configured to detect a voltage according to a change of the generated magnetic field.

16. The anti-lock brake system according to claim 14,

wherein the rotating speed detecting component is configured to convert the detected first running speed into a first running speed digital signal,

wherein the monitor system is configured to convert the second running speed digital value into a second running speed digital signal, and

wherein the monitor system is configured to determine whether the first running speed is equal to the second running speed in accordance with the first running speed digital signal and the second running speed digital signal.

17. The anti-lock brake system according to claim 16,

wherein the monitor system is configured to convert the second running speed digital value into a second running speed by multiplying the second running speed digital value by a predetermined value and converting the multiplication value into the second running speed digital signal comprising a period equal to the reciprocal of the multiplication value.

18. The anti-lock brake system according to claim 16,

wherein the monitor system is configured to determine that the first rotating speed is equal to the second rotating speed when oscillations of the second rotating speed digital signal are generated for every predetermined multiples of the period of the first rotating speed digital signal.

19. A sensor unit operably connected to a rotating mechanism portion including:

a body of rotation configured to;

fix a wheel operably connected to a vehicle body side, and

rotate the wheel,

means for detecting a first acceleration generated in the direction orthogonal to a rotating shaft in accordance with rotation;

means for detecting a second acceleration generated in a rotating direction;

means for converting the detected first and second accelerations into first and second acceleration digital values,

means for transmitting digital information including the first and second acceleration digital values;

means for receiving electromagnetic waves of a first frequency;

means for converting energy of the received electromagnetic waves into driving electric energy;

means to be operated by the electric energy to transmit the digital information by using electromagnetic waves of a second frequency;

means for obtaining a speed of the vehicle from the transmitted first acceleration digital value; and

means for obtaining a rotating speed per unit time of a wheel of the vehicle from the transmitted second acceleration digital value.

20. The sensor unit according to claim 19, further comprising:

means for detecting a third acceleration generated in the rotating-shaft direction, and

means for converting the detected third acceleration into a third acceleration digital value,

wherein the digital information to be transmitted by the transmitting means further comprises the second acceleration digital value.

21. The sensor unit according to claim 19, further comprising:

means for detecting a change of the second acceleration,

means for determining the rotating speed per unit time in accordance with the change of the second acceleration, and

means for converting the determined rotating speed into a rotating speed digital value, and

wherein the digital information to be transmitted by the transmitting means further comprises the rotating speed digital value.

22. The sensor unit according to claim 19, wherein the first frequency is equal to the second frequency.

23. The sensor unit according to claim 19, further comprising:

means for storing identification information specific to its own,

wherein the digital information to be transmitted by the transmitting means further comprises including the identification information.

24. The sensor unit according to claim 19, wherein the means for detecting the first acceleration and the means for detecting the second acceleration comprise a semiconductor acceleration sensor which has a silicon piezo-type diaphragm.