Method and device or system to monitor the state of tires, and detection of snow chains or spikes use, on a vehicle

• US 7,567,171 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2007
• Issued: 07/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dufournier Technologies SAS
• Original Assignee: Dufournier Technologies SAS
• Inventors: Dufournier, Arnaud
• Primary Examiner(s): La; Anh V
• Application Number:
  US11/812,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20080001728A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 340441-448, 731/455, 731/462, 731/461, 701/30, 701/38, 701/39, 701/68
• US Class Current: 340/444
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/06 Signalling devices actuated by deformation of the tyre , e.g. tyre mounted deformation sensors or indirect determination of tyre deformation based on wheel speed, wheel-centre to ground distance or inclination of wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2240/03 Tire sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/171 Detecting parameters used in the regulation; Measuring values used in the regulation
• 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: G01M 17/02 Tyres

Abstract

A system and method are provided for monitoring the physical integrity of a tire. The system and method include measuring a signal proportional to the speed of rotation of the wheel and calculating a harmonic signal of the round of wheel (e.g., equal to the energies of the harmonics of this signal), then comparing the result with a threshold and activating an alarm when over-passing this threshold.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for identifying a defect in the physical integrity of a tire on a vehicle, by performing operations comprising:

measuring by a sensor a signal that is proportional to the speed of rotation of a tire to be monitored;

calculating harmonic information from said signal;

comparing the calculated harmonic information to a threshold; and

identifying that a defect exists in the physical integrity of the tire when the threshold is exceeded by the calculated harmonic information.

2. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein said measuring operation includes measuring a signal that is proportional to the speed of rotation of the tire resulting from generation of harmonic vibrations from the turn caused by a deforming element or by a damaged part of the tire.

3. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the operation of calculating harmonic information includes calculating energies of the measured signal corresponding to the harmonics from the turn of the tire, from the fundamental harmonic to the harmonic of order 64.

4. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the measuring operation measures speed of a vehicle hub, suspension, or chassis, acceleration of the vehicle, or a load on, acceleration or displacement of the tire or elements of the chassis or suspension of the vehicle.

5. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein an accelerometer or load sensor is used per axle or set of tire, and is mounted on a representative element of the axle or set of tires.

6. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, further comprising operations of:

collecting and process signals that are output by on-board electronics to deduce therefrom a condition of the tire that would locally alter the radius R1 of the tire.

7. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, further comprising operations of:

calculating a factor of comparison of the tire being monitored with a reference tire in order to eliminate effects caused by unevenness of the ground.

8. The computer-readable medium according to claim 7, wherein tires situated on a same side of a vehicle are compared is the calculating a factor operation.

9. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, further comprising a operation of summing two or more harmonics from said harmonic information and comparing the sum to the threshold.

10. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the measuring a signal operation includes measuring an accelerometric signal measured at one of the tire, one or more suspension elements of the vehicle, or an element representative of a chassis of the vehicle.

11. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the measuring a signal operation includes measuring at least one of a load applied to the tire, a load applied to suspension elements of the vehicle, and a load applied to any element representative of a chassis of the vehicle.

12. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the measuring a signal operation includes measuring displacement of a chassis element of the vehicle or a suspension element of the vehicle.

13. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, further comprising a operation of measuring a steering angle of the vehicle and validating the results of the comparison based on the measured steering angle.

14. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, further comprising a operation of transmitting an alarm to one of a driver of the vehicle and a safety system of the vehicle, when a defect is identified.

15. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, further comprising operations of:

measuring the speed of rotation of each of tire of the vehicle continuously; and

for each tire, calculating a criterion A(t) based on variation of the speed of rotation of the tire.

16. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the measuring operation includes

measuring the speed of rotation of each of tire of the vehicle continuously, and said method further comprises a operation of:

for each tire, calculating a criterion A(t) based on measurement of the energy of the signal on frequency bands that are centered on a portion of harmonics 1-64 of the speed of rotation.