Method for judging road surface condition and device thereof, and program for judging road surface condition

• US 7,512,473 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2004
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Inventors: Nakao, Yukio
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US10/956,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20050102086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,639 Days
• Field of Search: 701/80, 701/74, 701/90, 701/3, 303165-166, 303/150
• US Class Current: 701/74
• 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: G01N 19/02 Measuring coefficient of friction between materials testing of tyres G01M17/02; determinations of friction coefficient used in vehicle braking or traction control systems B60T8/172

Abstract

A judgment method of road surface condition includes steps of: periodically detecting the wheel rotational speeds of the four wheel tires of a vehicle, memorizing the wheel rotational speed of each of tires, determining a slip ratio from said wheel rotational speeds, determining the acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle, determining a relation equation between said slip ratio and the acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle, determining a judgment value for judging a friction coefficient between the road surface and tires based on the slope of said relation equation determined, and setting a threshold which is used for judging the friction coefficient from the judgment value using the information of wireless tags which were buried in the tires.

Claims

1. A device for judging road surface condition comprising:

a wheel speed-detecting means for periodically detecting wheel rotational speeds of four wheel tires of a vehicle;

a memory means for memorizing said wheel rotational speed of each tires;

a slip ratio-calculating means for determining a slip ratio from said wheel rotational speeds;

an acceleration deceleration-calculating means for determining acceleration or deceleration of said vehicle;

a relation equation-calculating means for determining a relation equation between said slip ratio and said acceleration of said vehicle;

a judgment value-calculating means for determining a judgment value for judging a friction coefficient between road surface and tires based on slope of said relation equation determined; and

a threshold-setting means for setting a threshold used for judging friction coefficient from said judgment value with information of wireless tags buried in said tires.

2. The device for judging road surface condition of claim 1, wherein, the information provided by the wireless tags includes (1) the maker of the tires, (2) the size of the tires and (3) the service type of the tires.

4. The device for judging road surface condition of claim 1 further comprising an abrasion-judging means for judging the abrasion condition of tires by said threshold set.

3. A program, provided in machine-readable memory of a control unit, for judging road surface condition, the program, when executed, causing the control unit to function as:

a memory means for memorizing wheel rotational speed of each tires mounted on a vehicle;

a slip ratio-calculating means for determining a slip ratio from said wheel rotational speeds;

an acceleration deceleration-calculating means for determining acceleration or deceleration of said vehicle;

a relation equation-calculating means for determining a relation equation between said slip ratio and said acceleration of the vehicle;

a judgment value-calculating means for determining a judgment value for judging a friction coefficient between road surface and said tires based on slope of said relation equation determined; and

a threshold-setting means for setting a threshold used for judging friction coefficient from said judgment value with information of wireless tags buried in said tires.

5. The program for judging road surface condition of claim 3, wherein, thc information provided by the wireless tags includes (1) the maker of the tires, (2) the size of the tires and (3) the service type of the tires.

6. The program for judging road surface condition of claim 3, wherein the control unit is further caused to function as an abrasion-judging means for judging abrasion condition of tires by said threshold set.