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Apparatus for estimating vehicle mass using tire air pressure and method thereof

  • US 10,352,758 B2
  • Filed: 11/25/2015
  • Issued: 07/16/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2014
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for estimating vehicle mass in a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

  • an air pressure determining unit, the air pressure determining unit detecting a speed of the vehicle and tire air pressure of front wheel tires and rear wheel tires of the vehicle through air pressure sensors of the TPMS, wherein the TPMS determines whether the detected tire air pressure of the front wheel tires and the rear wheel tires are within a predetermined air pressure range;

    a speed measuring unit, the speed measuring unit measuring a wheel speed of the front wheel and a wheel speed of the rear wheel of the vehicle through wheel speed sensors of the TPMS if each of the detected tire air pressure of the front wheel tires and the rear wheel tires are within the predetermined air pressure range;

    a data storing unit, the data storing unit storing the predetermined air pressure range, a wheel speed difference map for the wheel speed of the front wheel and the wheel speed of the rear wheel, and a mass map for the speed of the vehicle, wherein the wheel speed difference map is designed for multiple tire characteristics for different types of vehicles, and wherein the mass map is designed for different speeds of a vehicle for the different types of vehicles;

    an error calculating unit, the error calculating unit acquiring a wheel speed difference of the front wheel and the rear wheel measured in the speed measuring unit through the wheel speed sensors of the TPMS and measuring an error by comparing the wheel speed difference of the front wheel and the rear wheel of the vehicle with the wheel speed difference map; and

    a mass calculating unit, the mass calculating unit estimating a vehicle mass of the vehicle corresponding to the error by using the mass map pre-stored in the data storing unit based on the speed of the vehicle to provide the estimated vehicle mass to the TPMS, wherein the TPMS evaluates the vehicle mass from the mass calculating unit based on the speed of the vehicle, the wheel speed of the front wheel and the rear wheel, the tire air pressures of the front wheel tires and the rear wheel tires, the wheel speed difference map, and the mass map.

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