Wheel localizer, wheel localization device, system, method and computer program for locating a position of a wheel

• US 9,180,743 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2014
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Park, Joo Il, Lange, Thomas, Pillet, Karine, Kim, Myungkil
• Primary Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US14/469,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20140365072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 701/34.4, 701/48, 701/30.5, 701 307- 309, 701/31.1, 701/46, 340/447, 340/442
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0459 self triggered by motion sensor
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0488 Movement sensor, e.g. for sensing angular speed, acceleration or centripetal force
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0489 for detecting the actual angular position of the monitoring device while the wheel is turning

Abstract

Embodiments can provide a system, a wheel localizer, a wheel localization device, a method or a computer program for locating a position of wheel and/or for determining an acceleration of a wheel of a vehicle. The system for locating a position of at least one out of a plurality of wheels of a vehicle includes a detector configured to obtain information related to a tangential acceleration of the at least one wheel of the vehicle and a unit configured to obtain information related to angular rotations of the plurality of wheels. The system further includes a locator configured to determine the position of the at least one wheel based on the information related to the tangential acceleration of the at least one wheel and the information related to the angular rotations of the plurality of wheels.

Claims

1. A system for locating a position of at least one wheel out of a plurality of wheels of a vehicle, comprising:

a detector configured to obtain information related to a tangential acceleration of the at least one wheel of the vehicle;

a unit configured to obtain information related to angular rotations of the plurality of wheels; and

a locator configured to determine the position of the at least one wheel based on the information related to the tangential acceleration of the at least one wheel and the information related to the angular rotations of the plurality of wheels, wherein the position comprises a wheel location from among the plurality of wheels.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the locator is configured to obtain the position of the at least one wheel further based on predetermined positions associated with the plurality of wheels and the information related to the angular rotations of the plurality of wheels.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the detector comprises an acceleration sensor for sensing information related to the tangential acceleration of the at least one wheel of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the acceleration sensor comprises a one dimensional sensor or a linear sensor, or both.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the locator is configured to determine the position of the at least one wheel by determining information related to a correlation of the information related to the tangential acceleration of the at least one wheel and the information related to the angular rotations of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the unit comprises one or more sensors configured to obtain the information related to the angular rotations of the plurality of wheels.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the detector is further configured to obtain information related to a tire pressure of the at least one wheel and wherein the locator is further configured to associate the information related to the tire pressure with the position of the at least one wheel.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the detector further comprises a tire pressure sensor.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the detector is further configured to transmit information using a radio signal and wherein the locator is further configured to receive information from the radio signal.

10. A wheel localizer for locating a position of at least one wheel out of a plurality of wheels of a vehicle, comprising a detector configured to provide an acceleration signal comprising information related to a tangential acceleration of the at least one wheel of the vehicle;

an unit configured to provide a rotation signal comprising information related to angular rotations of the plurality of wheels; and

a locator configured to receive the acceleration signal and the rotation signal and being further configured to provide a position signal comprising information related to the position of the at least one wheel based on the acceleration signal and the rotation signal, wherein the position comprises a wheel location from among the plurality of wheels.

11. The wheel localizer of claim 10, wherein the locator is configured to provide the position signal further based on predetermined positions associated with the plurality of wheels and the information related to the angular rotations of the plurality of wheels.

12. The wheel localizer of claim 10, wherein the detector comprises an acceleration sensor configured to sense information related to the tangential acceleration of the at least one wheel of the vehicle.

13. The wheel localizer of claim 12, wherein the acceleration sensor comprises a one dimensional sensor or a linear sensor, or both.

14. The wheel localizer of claim 10, wherein the locator is configured to determine the information related to the position of the at least one wheel by determining information related to a correlation of the information related to the tangential acceleration of the at least one wheel and the information related to the angular rotations of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle.

15. The wheel localizer of claim 10, wherein the unit comprises one or more sensors configured to obtain the rotation signal.

16. The wheel localizer of claim 10, wherein the locator is further configured to receive a pressure signal comprising information related to a tire pressure of the at least one wheel, and wherein the locator is further configured to associate the information related to the tire pressure with the position signal.

17. The wheel localizer of claim 16, wherein the detector further comprises a tire pressure sensor for generating the pressure signal.

18. The wheel localizer of claim 10, wherein the detector is further configured to transmit information using a radio signal and wherein the locator is further configured to receive the information from the radio signal.

19. A wheel localization device for locating a position of at least one wheel out of a plurality of wheels of a vehicle, comprising

one or more inputs configured to receive a first signal comprising information related to a tangential acceleration of the at least one wheel of the vehicle and configured to receive one or more second signals comprising information related to angular rotations of the plurality of wheels obtained from a unit;

and

an output configured to provide an output signal comprising information related to the position of the wheel, wherein the output signal is based on the first signal comprising the information related to the tangential acceleration of the at least one wheel of the vehicle and on the one or more second signals comprising the information related to the angular rotations of the plurality of wheels, wherein the position comprises a wheel location from among the plurality of wheels.

20. The wheel localization device of claim 19, wherein the output signal comprises information related to an association of the first signal to one of the angular rotations of the plurality of wheels.

21. A method for locating, via a wheel localizer, a position of at least one wheel out of a plurality of wheels of a vehicle, comprising:

obtaining, via the wheel localizer, information related to a tangential acceleration of the at least one wheel of the vehicle;

obtaining, via the wheel localizer from a unit, information related to angular rotations of the plurality of wheels; and

determining, via the wheel localizer, the position of the at least one wheel based on the information related to the tangential acceleration of the at least one wheel and the information related to the angular rotations of the plurality of wheels, wherein the position comprises a wheel location from among the plurality of wheels.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising obtaining the position of the at least one wheel further based on predetermined positions associated with the plurality of wheels and the information related to the angular rotations of the plurality of wheels.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising determining the position of the at least one wheel by determining information related to a correlation of the information related to the tangential acceleration of the at least one wheel and the information related to the angular rotations of the plurality of wheels of the vehicle.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising obtaining information related to a tire pressure of the at least one wheel and associating the information related to the tire pressure with the position of the at least one wheel.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising transmitting information using a radio signal and receiving the information from the radio signal.