Slip ratio point optimization system and method for vehicle control

• US 9,650,053 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2014
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
• Original Assignee: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
• Inventors: Singh, Kanwar Bharat, Veppathur Sivaramakrishnan, Srikanth
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US14/558,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20160159367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 73 8, 731462, 701 80, 701 337, 701 329, 701 344, 701 36, 340440, 303148-150, 1522091, 15220915
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/246 Tread wear monitoring systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0493 for attachment on the tyre
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2240/03 Tire sensors
• 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: B60W 2400/00 Indexing codes relating to detected, measured or calculated conditions or factors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/10 related to vehicle motion
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

An optimal tire slip ratio estimation system and method affixes a tire-identification device to a vehicle tire to provide a tire-specific identification and one or more sensors affixed to the tire for measuring one or more tire-specific parameters. A model-based optimal slip ratio estimator generates a model-derived optimal tire slip ratio estimation based upon an assessment of sensor-derived tire-specific parameter information based on the tire-specific identification.

Claims

1. An optimal tire slip ratio estimation system comprising:

a vehicle supported by at least one vehicle tire mounted to a hub, the vehicle tire having a tire cavity and a ground-engaging tread, and the tire having a plurality of tire-specific measureable parameters;

a tire-affixed tire-identification device for providing an electronic tire-specific identification;

a plurality of tire-affixed sensors mounted to the tire operably measuring the tire-specific parameters and generating tire-specific parameter information, the tire-specific parameter information including;

a load estimation for the one vehicle tire, a measured temperature of the one vehicle tire, a measured air pressure within a cavity of the one vehicle tire, and a wear estimation for a tread region of the one vehicle tire; and

a model-based optimal slip ratio estimator operable to generate a model-derived optimal tire slip ratio estimation from an assessment of the tire-specific parameter information relative to the electronic tire-specific identification.

6. The optimal tire slip ratio estimation system of claim 1, wherein the model-derived optimal tire slip ratio estimation is substantially continuously updated during an operation of the vehicle.

7. The optimal tire slip ratio estimator according to claim 1, wherein the load estimation input into the model-based optimal tire slip ratio estimator operably calculates a load estimation based upon a vehicle-based hub accelerometer signal.

8. The optimal tire slip ratio estimation system of claim 6, wherein the updated model-derived optimal tire slip ratio estimation is operably utilized in at least one control system of the vehicle.

2. A method of making an optimal tire slip ratio estimation comprising:

mounting at least one vehicle tire to a vehicle, the vehicle tire having a tire cavity and a ground-engaging tread and the tire having a plurality of tire-specific measureable parameters;

affixing to the one vehicle tire a tire identification device providing an electronic tire-specific identification;

mounting a plurality of tire-affixed sensors to the tire operably measuring the tire-specific parameters to generate tire-specific parameter information;

inputting the tire-specific information into a model-based optimal slip ratio estimator; and

generating a model-derived optimal tire slip ratio estimation by the model-based optimal tire slip ratio estimator from an assessment of the tire-specific parameter information relative to the electronic tire-specific identification, wherein the tire-specific parameter information includes a load estimation for the one vehicle tire;

a measured temperature of the one vehicle tire, a measured air pressure within a cavity of the one vehicle tire, and a wear estimation for a tread region of the one vehicle tire.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising substantially continuously updating the model-derived optimal tire slip ratio estimation during an operation of the vehicle to adjust for changes in the tire-specific information.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising using the updated optimal tire slip ratio estimation in at least one control system of the vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 2, further comprising utilizing a vehicle-based accelerometer signal to generate the load estimation for the one vehicle tire.