Method for performing a plausibility check for detecting a loss of load bearing capacity in a suspension system of a vehicle

• US 9,108,481 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2012
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Hoinkhaus, Hermann
• Primary Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US14/361,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20140379210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 701/39, 701/37, 701/34.4, 280/6.157, 280/6.158, 280/6.151, 280/DIG.1, 280/6.153, 280/5.514, 180/41
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0155 pneumatic unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/016 characterised by their responsiveness, when the vehicle is travelling, to specific motion, a specific condition, or driver input B60G17/017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0185 for failure detection
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0521 the spring having a flexible wall
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/0511 Roll angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/0512 Pitch angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/0513 Yaw angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/252 vertical
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/5122 Fluid spring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/61 Load distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/02 Retarders, delaying means, dead zones, threshold values, cut-off frequency, timer interruption
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/04 Means for informing, instructing or displaying
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/08 Failure or malfunction detecting means
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/12 Sampling or average detecting; Addition or substraction
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/702 Improving accuracy of a sensor signal
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/80 Detection or control after a system or component failure

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for carrying out a plausibility check for recognizing a loss in load-bearing capacity in at least one suspension strut of a suspension system of a motor vehicle chassis during the operation of the chassis. Target-actual comparisons of measured suspension paths with evaluation parameters having predetermined critical threshold values calculated from the suspension paths are performed. In the event that the predetermined critical threshold values are exceeded or not attained, a recognition signal is set for a possible loss in load-bearing capacity.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for performing a plausibility check for detecting a loss of load bearing capacity in at least one suspension strut of a suspension system of a vehicle chassis during vehicle operation, the method comprising:

computing, by a processor located in a control unit of the vehicle, evaluation variables calculated from suspension displacements of the at least one suspension strut, the evaluation variables calculated from the suspension displacements include at least one of;

a sum of the suspension displacements,

an average value of the suspension displacements,

a roll angle of a front axle of the chassis,

a roll angle of a rear axle of the chassis,

an average value of said roll angles,

a pitch angle on a right side of the chassis,

a pitch angle on a left side of the chassis,

an average value of said pitch angles,

an angle of rotation of the chassis about a diagonal axis formed by a left front wheel and a right rear wheel of the chassis,

an angle of rotation of the chassis about a diagonal axis formed by a right front wheel and a left rear wheel of the chassis,

or an average value of the angle of rotation about the diagonal axes,

computing, by the processor located in the control unit of the vehicle, target-actual value comparisons by comparing predefined critical threshold values to the evaluation variables and to the suspension displacements, and

setting, by the processor located in the control unit of the vehicle, an identification signal when the predefined critical threshold values are exceeded or not attained to indicate the existence of a loss of load bearing capacity on the suspension strut of at least one of the wheels of the vehicle.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the suspension displacements that are used for calculating the evaluation variables are bandpass filtered and offset-free.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identification of a loss of load bearing capacity in a suspension strut of a wheel of the chassis and/or in the suspension system of an axle of the chassis is carried out.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the target-actual value comparisons of the respective measured suspension displacements and the evaluation variables calculated therefrom with the respective defined threshold variables are repeated at definable time intervals.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identification signal for the loss of load bearing capacity is only set following repeated verification.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identification signal for the loss of load bearing capacity is set in a controller of a chassis.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the case in which the target-actual value comparisons indicate a loss of load bearing capacity, a trigger signal is set for the actual measurement of the load bearing capacity in the at least one identified suspension strut of the suspension system of the chassis.

8. A computer program product stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium with instructions that can be implemented by a processor for performing the steps of the method as claimed in claim 1.

9. A checking device for performing a plausibility check for detecting a loss of load bearing capacity in at least one suspension strut of a suspension system of a vehicle chassis during vehicle operation, including:

a processor located in a control unit of the vehicle and configured to;

carry out target-actual value comparisons between measured suspension displacements and evaluation variables calculated from the suspension displacements with predefined critical threshold variables, wherein the evaluation variables calculated by the suspension displacements include at least one of;

a sum of the suspension displacements,

an average value of the suspension displacements,

a roll angle of a front axle of the chassis,

a roll angle of a rear axle of the chassis,

an average value of said roll angles,

a pitch angle on a right side of the chassis,

a pitch angle on a left side of the chassis,

an average value of said pitch angles,

an angle of rotation of the chassis about a diagonal axis formed by a left front wheel and a right rear wheel of the chassis,

an angle of rotation of the car plant about a diagonal axis formed by a right front wheel and a left rear wheel of the chassis,

or an average value of the angle of rotation about the diagonal axes,

and wherein the processor sets an identification signal for the possible existence of a loss of load bearing capacity in the case in which the predefined critical threshold values are exceeded or not attained.