System and method for tire measurement

• US 9,776,462 B1
• Filed: 08/29/2016
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Gray, Jeremy P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hung T
• Application Number:
  US15/250,280
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 340442, 340444, 340447, 340449, 731461, 731462, 731465, 731468, 701 1, 701 29
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/066 by monitoring wheel-centre to ground distance
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 17/00 Devices or apparatus for measuring tyre pressure or the pressure in other inflated bodies

Abstract

A system to perceive the structure of a tire chamber is presented herein. The system includes: a memory, controller, wheel, vehicle tire, and sensor. The memory includes executable instructions. The controller is in turn configured to read and execute the executable instructions. The wheel is adapted to connect to a vehicle axle. The tire is connected to the wheel. The sensor is located within the interior chamber of the tire. The sensor is moreover configured to measure a selected portion of the tire chamber. The sensor is further configured to communicate the measurement to the controller. The executable instructions enable the controller to: operate the sensor so as to make measurements of the tire chamber; retrieve (from the sensor) measurement information of the tire chamber; and generate tire-chamber-perception information from the measurement information of the tire chamber.

Claims

1. A system to perceive a structure of a tire chamber, the system comprising:

a memory comprising one or more executable instructions;

a controller configured to read and execute the one or more executable instructions;

a wheel adapted to connect to a vehicle axle;

a vehicle tire connected to the wheel;

a sensor fastened to the wheel and located within an interior chamber of the vehicle tire, the sensor configured to make one or more measurements of a selected portion of the tire chamber, the sensor configured to communicate the one or more measurements to the controller; and

wherein the executable instructions enable the controller to;

operate the sensor to make one or more measurements of the selected portion of the tire chamber;

retrieve, from the sensor, measurement information of the tire chamber;

generate tire-chamber-perception information from the measurement information of the tire chamber;

calculate one or more lateral-profile estimations from the measurement information of the tire chamber;

generate tire-chamber-perception information from the lateral-profile estimations;

calculate one or more tire-volume estimations and/or calculate one or more tire-vibration estimations and/or calculate one or more wheel-normal-reaction estimations and/or measure one or more lateral-deflection estimations, from the lateral-profile estimations;

calculate one or more tire-volume-derivative estimations and/or calculate one or more lateral-deflection-derivative estimations, from the lateral-profile estimations; and

generate the tire-chamber-perception information, from one or more of these tire chamber estimations.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a display configured to exhibit information;

wherein the executable instructions further enable the controller to;

exhibit, via the display, the tire-chamber-perception information.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

wherein the executable instructions further enable the controller to;

generate an aqua-planning warning from the measurement information of the tire chamber; and

exhibit, through the display, the aqua-planning warning.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an Ultra Short-Range Radar (USRR).

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is in a wireless communication with the controller.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to cover longitudinal measurements of the tire chamber.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a plurality of cores configured to:

simultaneously compile the tire chamber estimations; and

generate, in a parallel manner, the tire-chamber-perception information from the tire chamber estimations.

8. A system to perceive a structure of a tire chamber, the system comprising:

a memory comprising one or more executable instructions;

a controller configured to read and execute the one or more executable instructions;

a wheel adapted to connect to a vehicle axle;

a vehicle tire connected to the wheel;

a display configured to exhibit tire-chamber-perception information, wherein the tire-chamber-perception information facilitates an understanding of a tire profile shape at rest and/or a tire profile shape during high velocity tire rotation and/or agile inverse tire dynamic calculations and/or a tire patch area and/or an effective tire rolling radius and/or a tire rolling resistance and/or inverse terrain profiling information and/or a tire load ability and/or a linear tire velocity;

a plurality of sensors fastened to the wheel and located within an interior chamber of the vehicle tire, the plurality of sensors configured to make one or more measurements of one or more selected portions of the tire chamber, the plurality of sensors configured to wirelessly communicate the one or more measurements to the controller;

wherein the executable instructions enable the controller to;

operate the plurality of sensors to make one or more measurements of the one or more selected portions of the tire chamber;

retrieve, from the plurality of sensors, measurement information of the tire chamber;

generate tire-chamber-perception information from the measurement information of the tire chamber;

exhibit, via the display, the tire-chamber-perception information;

calculate one or more lateral-profile estimations from the measurement information of the tire chamber;

generate tire-chamber-perception information from the lateral-profile estimations;

calculate one or more tire-volume estimations and/or calculate one or more tire-vibration estimations and/or calculate one or more wheel-normal-reaction estimations and/or measure one or more lateral-deflection estimations, from the lateral-profile estimations;

calculate one or more tire-volume-derivative estimations and/or calculate one or more lateral-deflection-derivative estimations, from the lateral-profile estimations; and

generate the tire-chamber-perception information, from one or more of these tire chamber estimations; and

wherein the controller comprises a plurality of cores configured to;

simultaneously compile the tire chamber estimations; and

generate, in a parallel manner, the tire-chamber-perception information from the tire chamber estimations.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

wherein the executable instructions further enable the controller to;

generate an aqua-planning warning from the measurement information of the tire chamber; and

exhibit, through the display, the aqua-planning warning.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the sensor is an Ultra Short-Range Radar (USRR).

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the sensor is configured to cover longitudinal measurements of the tire chamber.

12. A method to perceive a structure of a tire chamber, the method comprising:

providing a memory comprising one or more executable instructions;

providing a controller configured to read and execute the one or more executable instructions;

providing a wheel adapted to connect to a vehicle axle;

providing a vehicle tire connected to the wheel;

providing a sensor fastened to the wheel and located within an interior chamber of the vehicle tire;

configuring the sensor to make one or more measurements of a selected portion of the tire chamber;

configuring the sensor to communicate the one or more measurements to the controller;

wherein the executable instructions enable the controller to;

operating, via the controller, the sensor;

measuring, via the sensor, the selected portion of the tire chamber;

retrieving from the sensor, via the controller, measurement information of the tire chamber;

generating, via the controller, tire-chamber-perception information from the measurement information of the tire chamber;

configuring the controller to calculate one or more lateral-profile estimations from the measurement information of the tire chamber;

calculating, via the controller, one or more tire-volume estimations, from the lateral-profile estimations;

calculating, via the controller, one or more tire-vibration estimations, from the lateral-profile estimations;

calculating, via the controller, one or more wheel-normal-reaction estimations, from the lateral-profile estimations;

measuring, via the controller, one or more lateral-deflection estimations, from the lateral-profile estimations;

calculating, via the controller, one or more tire-volume-derivative estimations, from the lateral-profile estimations;

calculating, via the controller, one or more lateral-deflection-derivative estimations, from the lateral-profile estimations; and

generating from one or more of these tire chamber estimations, via the controller, the tire-chamber-perception information.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing a display configured to exhibit information; and

exhibiting, via the display, the tire-chamber-perception information.