Device and method for determining an absolute angular position of a wheel of a vehicle

• US 9,701,287 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Kretschmann, Matthias, Yajima, Takeaki, Faisst, Holger
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Assistant Examiner(s): JHA, ABDHESH K
• Application Number:
  US14/385,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20150073677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,583 Days
• Field of Search: 701 70, 701 41, 701 42, 701 1, 701 72, 701 314, 701 36, 701 38, 701 43, 701 45, 701 82
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/171 Detecting parameters used in the regulation; Measuring values used in the regulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/147 influenced by the movement of a third element, the position of Hall device and the source of magnetic field being fixed in respect to each other
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/488 delivered by variable reluctance detectors

Abstract

A device and a method for determining an absolute angular position of a wheel of a vehicle. A wheel unit is mounted on the wheel side and configured to determine data which permit a reference limb of the wheel, and to wirelessly transmit the acquired data. A receiver unit is mounted on the vehicle side and receives the data of the wheel unit. A reference limb-determining device determines the reference limb of the wheel on the basis of the received data. A measuring device generates, in each case, one signal when the wheel rotates by a previously determined angle, and a counting device counts the signals generated by the measuring device. An angle-determining device determines an absolute angular position of the wheel on the basis of the signals counted by the counting device, and on the basis of the specific reference limb.

Claims

1. A device for determining an absolute angular position of a wheel of a vehicle, comprising:

a wheel unit to be mounted on a wheel side, said wheel unit having a sensor configured to acquire data representing a rotational position of the wheel relative to the earth or to a road surface upon which the vehicle is traveling, and to generate therefrom a sensor signal permitting a reference limb of the wheel to be determined, the reference limb being an absolute angular position of the wheel relative to the vehicle, and said wheel unit further having a transmitter for transmitting the acquired data wirelessly;

a receiver unit to be mounted on the vehicle side for receiving the sensor signal from said wheel unit;

a reference limb-determining device configured for determining the reference limb of the wheel based on the sensor signal received by said receiver unit;

a measuring device for generating in each case a signal when the wheel rotates by a predetermined angle;

a counting device for counting the signals generated by said measuring device; and

an angle-determining device for determining an absolute angular position of the wheel based on the signals counted by said counting device and the determined reference limb.

2. The device according to claim 1, configured to receive or acquire data relating to a speed of the vehicle, and wherein said reference limb-determining device is configured to determine the reference limb of the wheel after the speed increases from a value below a predetermined threshold value to a value above the threshold value.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said sensor is an acceleration sensor and is configured to acquire the data on the basis of:

a force of gravity of the earth acting on said acceleration sensor;

an acceleration occurring when the acceleration sensor enters a footprint of the wheel;

or

an acceleration occurring when the acceleration sensor exits the footprint of the wheel.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the wheel unit comprises a piezo-element and is configured to acquire the data on the basis of:

a change in bending of said piezo-element occurring when said piezo-element enters a footprint of the wheel;

or

a change in the bending of said piezo-element occurring when said piezo-element exits the footprint of the wheel.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein said wheel unit comprises a magnetic field sensor and is configured to acquire the data on the basis of a magnetic field of the earth acting on the magnetic field sensor.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein said wheel unit comprises an evaluation unit configured to sample output signals of a sensor of the wheel unit in order to generate sampled signals and to analyze the sampled signals in order to detect a passage of the wheel through the reference limb.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the sensor of said wheel unit comprises an acceleration sensor.

8. The device according to claim 6, wherein said wheel unit is configured to transmit the data substantially at a time at which the wheel passes through the reference limb, or to acquire the time at which the wheel passes through the reference limb and to transmit the acquired time within the data.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein said measuring device has a rotational element of an ABS sensor disposed to rotate synchronously with the wheel.

10. A method of determining an absolute angular position of a wheel of a vehicle, the method comprising:

a) acquiring data in form of a sensor signal that permits an initial angular position of the wheel relative to the vehicle to be determined, by way of a sensor of a wheel unit mounted on the wheel;

b) wirelessly transmitting the sensor signal thus acquired from a transmitter of the wheel unit to a receiver unit mounted on a vehicle side;

c) determining the angular position of the wheel relative to the vehicle on the basis of the sensor signal thus transmitted;

d) generating a signal in each case when the wheel rotates through a predetermined angle from the initial angular position;

e) counting the signals thus generated; and

f) determining an absolute angular position of the wheel on the basis of the generated signals thus counted and the determined initial angular position.

11. The method according to claim 10, which comprises carrying out steps a) to c) after a speed of the vehicle increases from a value below a predetermined threshold value to a value above the threshold value.