Method for determining the axle load of a vehicle

• US 9,469,303 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2014
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZF CV Systems Europe BV (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: Wabco GmbH (Wabco Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Czaja, Daniel, Stender, Axel, Treichel, Thomas, Wolf, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Assistant Examiner(s): MERLINO, DAVID P
• Application Number:
  US14/445,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20150039216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/1307 Load distribution on each wheel suspension
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0088 Adaptive recalibration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/125 Lateral acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/28 Wheel speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18145 Cornering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/13 Load or weight

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for determining the axle load of a vehicle (10) having at least two tires on an axle. During cornering, the axle load is determined from a difference between wheel speeds at a wheel on the inside of the bend and wheel speeds at a wheel on the outside of the bend and by taking into account the lateral acceleration and track width.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a vehicle (10) having at least two wheels on one axle, the at least two wheels defining a track width, the method comprising the following steps:

determining, during cornering through a bend, a difference between wheel speeds at a bend-inner wheel and at a bend-outer wheel on the one axle;

measuring a lateral vehicle acceleration;

determining an axle load by taking into account the lateral acceleration, the difference between the wheel speeds, and the track width, wherein the-axle load is a sum of loads acting on the at least two wheels of the one axle,

outputting information representative of the axle load to a vehicle brake system, and

operating the vehicle brake system by taking into account the axle load.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axle load is determined only during cornering when the lateral acceleration exceeds a threshold value for the lateral acceleration, further comprising the step of

assuming, at least when starting the vehicle (10), an assumed axle load of a fully laden vehicle, wherein the assumed axle load of the fully laden vehicle is higher than a partially-laden-vehicle axle load and than an empty-vehicle axle load, the assumed axle load of the fully laden vehicle being specific to the vehicle and stored in an electronic control system.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the threshold value is larger than or equal to 1 m/s².

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of determining the axle load comprises the steps of

determining a first axle load value during cornering;

determining a second axle load during a subsequent cornering, and

generating a mean value representing the axle load from at least the first axle load value and the second axle load value.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of determining the axle load comprises the steps of

determining a first axle load value during cornering;

determining a second axle load during a subsequent cornering within a period of time after at least a stationary state of the vehicle or after travel at low speeds below a threshold value, and

generating a weighted mean value representing the axle load from at least the first axle load value and the second axle load value.