Center-of-gravity detecting system

• US 9,541,389 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2011
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology
• Inventors: Watanabe, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Henson, Mischita
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIAO, CHRISTINE Y
• Application Number:
  US13/698,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20130132025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,065 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: B60W 2040/1315 Location of the centre of gravity
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0031 Mathematical model of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/14 Tractor-trailers, i.e. combinations of a towing vehicle and one or more towed vehicles, e.g. caravans; Road trains
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/16 Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/18 Roll
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/13 Load or weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/147 Trailers, e.g. full trailers or caravans
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/10 Determining the moment of inertia
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/12 Static balancing; Determining position of centre of gravity by determining imbalance G01M1/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/122 Determining position of centre of gravity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00

Abstract

A center-of-gravity detecting system includes a motion detector for detecting a vertical motion of a travelling object and a horizontal motion of the travelling object, and an arithmetic unit that calculates a center-of-gravity location of the travelling object using the frequency of a vertical motion of the travelling object, a frequency of the horizontal motion of the travelling object, a central angle of the horizontal motion of the travelling object, and the width of the traveling object. The arithmetic unit calculates a center-of-gravity location, using the frequency of the vertical motion, a frequency of the horizontal motion, the center-of-gravity location, and the length of the travelling object in the travel direction.

Claims

1. A center-of-gravity detecting system comprising:

a motion detector for detecting a vertical motion of a travelling object in a self-weight direction of the travelling object during travel, and a horizontal motion of the travelling object in a widthwise direction of the travelling object during travel; and

an arithmetic unit;

wherein the motion detector includes an angular velocity sensor mounted on the travelling object, the angular velocity sensor comprising an angular velocity sensitive axis that is adjustable in the widthwise direction of the travelling object;

wherein the arithmetic unit obtains a frequency of the vertical motion in the self-weight direction and a frequency of the horizontal motion in the widthwise direction corresponding to a width of the traveling object, by using the motion detector;

the arithmetic unit calculates a center-of-gravity location of the travelling object in the self-weight direction in a cross-section perpendicular to the travel direction and a center-of-gravity location of the travelling object in the widthwise direction in the cross-section perpendicular to the travel direction, using the frequency of the vertical motion in the self-weight direction, the frequency of the horizontal motion in the widthwise direction, a central angle of the horizontal motion in the widthwise direction, and the width of the traveling object;

the arithmetic unit derives coefficients in a formula in which a relation between the width of the travelling object and the frequency of the horizontal motion in the widthwise direction is formulated, using the center-of-gravity location in the self-weight direction, the center-of-gravity in the widthwise direction, the frequency of the vertical motion in the self-weight direction, and the central angle of the horizontal motion in the widthwise direction;

the arithmetic unit calculates a frequency of the horizontal motion in the travel direction, using the coefficients in the formula, in a case where the width of the travelling object is a length of the travelling object in the travel direction, in the formula; and

the arithmetic unit calculates a center-of-gravity location of the travelling object in the travel direction, using the frequency of the vertical motion in the self-weight direction, a frequency of the horizontal motion in the travel direction, the center-of-gravity location in the self-weight direction, and the length of the travelling object in the travel direction.

2. The center-of-gravity detecting system according to claim 1,

wherein the formula is represented by a formulated formula (X), in which the width (b) of the travelling object is an independent variable and the frequency “

ν

”

of the horizontal motion of the travelling object in the widthwise direction is a dependent variable; and

the arithmetic unit calculates the frequency of the horizontal motion of the travelling object in the travel direction by assigning the length of the travelling object in the travel direction to the independent variable in the formula (X);

ν

2=Kb2+K0 

 

(X)

wherein “

K”

contains as variables the center-of-gravity location in the self-weight direction, the center-of-gravity location in the widthwise direction, the vertical motion frequency in the self-weight direction, and the central angle of the horizontal motion in the widthwise direction; and

“

K0”

contains as variables the center-of-gravity location in the self-weight direction, the center-of-gravity location in the widthwise direction, and the central angle of the horizontal motion in the widthwise direction.

3. The center-of-gravity detecting system according to claim 1, wherein the traveling object is a container cargo vehicle towed by a towing vehicle.

4. The center-of-gravity detecting system according to claim 1,

wherein when the vertical motion in the self-weight direction corresponds to a vertical reciprocation motion in which a center-of-gravity of the traveling object is a mass point, and the horizontal motion in the widthwise direction corresponds to a horizontal simple pendulum motion in which an axle center of the traveling object in the width direction is a support point, and the center-of-gravity of the traveling object is a mass point,

the arithmetic unit converts output data of the motion detector into horizontal motion data that represents a correlation between a frequency and an amplitude of the simple pendulum motion, and obtains a frequency of the simple pendulum motion in correspondence with a peak amplitude of the simple pendulum motion which is derived from the width of the traveling object on the basis of the horizontal motion data,

the arithmetic unit further converts the output data of the motion detector into vertical motion data that represents a correlation between a frequency and an amplitude of the reciprocation motion, and obtains a frequency of the reciprocation motion corresponding to a maximum amplitude of the reciprocation motion on the basis of the vertical motion data, and

the arithmetic unit calculates the center-of-gravity location of the travelling object in the self-weight direction in the cross-section perpendicular to the travel direction and the center-of-gravity location of the travelling object in the widthwise direction in the cross-section perpendicular to the travel direction, using the width, the obtained frequency of the simple pendulum motion, the obtained frequency of the reciprocation, and a central angle of the simple pendulum motion.

5. The center-of-gravity detecting system according to claim 1,

wherein the vertical motion in the self-weight direction and the horizontal motion in the widthwise direction are motions due to external disturbances applied to the traveling object during travel on a road surface, by irregularities of the road surface.

6. The center-of-gravity detecting system according to claim 1,

wherein the angular velocity sensitive axes of the angular velocity sensor is adjusted in the self-weight direction.

7. The center-of-gravity detecting system according to claim 1,

wherein the angular velocity sensor is configured to detect biaxial angular velocity.

8. The center-of-gravity detecting system according to claim 1,

wherein the motion detector includes an amplifier circuit, a filter circuit, and a digitizer circuit.