VEHICLE LOADING CONDITION DETECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD

摘要

A system and method estimating a vehicle tire load identifies a change in vehicle loading condition by measuring vibration resonant frequency peaks (bounce mode and/or pitch mode) of the unsprung mass. Signals required include the chassis vertical acceleration and/or chassis pitch rate obtained from commercially available sensors mounted to the vehicle. An observer model receives the inertial signal(s) and generates a dynamic load estimation based upon observed frequency change in the sprung mass natural frequency.

主权项

1. A tire load estimation system for a vehicle comprising:
a tire carried by a hub and supporting a vehicle chassis, the vehicle chassis generating a vibration resonant frequency; a hub-acceleration sensor mounted to the vehicle operative to determine hub acceleration; an inertial measurement unit mounted to the chassis operatively connected to generate at least one chassis inertial signal taken from the group comprising chassis vertical acceleration signal and chassis pitch rate signal; a static load estimator operative to generate an estimated static load from the at least one chassis inertial signal; a sensor mounted to the tire operative to measure tire inflation pressure; a tire vertical stiffness generator operative to determine a tire-specific tire vertical stiffness from the measured tire inflation pressure; a tire deflection observer operative to calculate a dynamic load from the estimated static load, the chassis vertical acceleration, the hub acceleration, and the tire vertical stiffness.