Intelligent tire sensor system and data acquisition synchronization method

Abstract

The invention discloses an intelligent tire sensor system which comprises a six-axis inertial navigation sensor, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a wireless transceiver, a processor, a micro motor, a power supply system and a power supply, the processor is used for acquiring data from the six-axis inertial navigation sensor, the temperature sensor and the pressure sensor, controlling the working modes of the micro motor and the power supply system and controlling the transceiver to transmit and receive signals with the outside; the processor manages and controls the power supply system by detecting the output voltage and current of the micro motor and the Hall signal, so that the micro motor or the rechargeable battery supplies power at different movement moments of the tire, and the micro motor charges the rechargeable battery. Through the synchronization method, the structure of the parts and interconnection arrangement, self-power generation can be simply, stably and reliably achieved, and high-frequency data synchronous collection can be conducted to monitor the conditions of tires and an automobile.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of vehicle intelligent tire sensors, and in particular to an intelligent tire sensor system and a data acquisition parameter acquisition synchronization method. Background Art

[0002] As the intelligentization of automobiles becomes more and more popular, more sensors are installed in various places of vehicles. For example, there are tire pressure sensors installed in tires, speed sensors installed near the wheel hub to detect vehicle speed, and acceleration sensors installed on the chassis to detect vehicle side slip. These sensors work independently and collect their own sensor data. Due to the distributed installation, it is difficult to achieve accurate time synchronization of these sensor data collection, such as time synchronization less than milliseconds, in order to meet higher safety performance requirements. In particular, the sensors currently installed in tires mainly detect tire information including tire pressure, tire temperature, acceleration information, etc. The sensors currently installed in tires cannot directly detect the rotation speed of the tires.

[0003] The multi-channel sensors of the autonomous driving system sense the surrounding environment of the car, and transmit the environmental perception data to the autonomous driving domain controller for processing and calculate the output of vehicle control command information through complex autonomous driving algorithms to the vehicle actuator to realize vehicle control such as direction, speed and brake, without the need for driver operation. The current vehicle actuator and ESP (electronic stability system) are basically independent of the autonomous driving domain controller. The vehicle actuator only receives the vehicle control command information from the autonomous driving domain controller, and basically does not feedback the vehicle motion state information to the autonomous driving domain controller, especially the motion state information of the vehicle tires relative to the road surface, such as slippage, stalling, lateral slippage, bumps and vibrations of the road surface, and tire wear information and life information. Due to the inability to collect the feedback information of the vehicle motion state, especially the feedback information of the vehicle tires relative to the road surface, the current vehicle autonomous driving system cannot form a closed-loop control of the vehicle motion state, especially the motion state of the four vehicle tires relative to the road surface and the output of the vehicle control command information by the autonomous driving domain controller to the vehicle actuator, which poses a great safety hazard and risk to the vehicle implementing the autonomous driving system.

[0004] An important factor that determines the driving safety and comfort of a vehicle is the movement state of the four tires relative to the road surface. When the vehicle is in autonomous driving state, it is particularly important to be able to detect the movement state of the tires, such as acceleration, angular velocity and even rotation speed, in real time and at a high frequency and provide real-time feedback to the autonomous driving domain controller.

[0005] In addition, it is well known that most existing vehicle tires monitor internal temperature and tire pressure, with low sampling frequency and low power consumption, and the internal battery can meet the power supply needs of the sensor. With the increasing requirements for autonomous driving and tire intelligence, its functions limited to tire pressure and temperature can no longer meet the requirements of vehicle tire intelligence and the stability and safety of autonomous driving vehicles. Vehicle intelligent tire sensors need to collect more tire signals; due to the increase in the amount of tire signals collected by vehicle tire sensors and the increase in the sampling frequency and signal transmission frequency of intelligent tire signals for real-time detection of tire status, the power consumption of internal sensors increases, and the internal battery power supply method cannot meet the long life requirements of vehicle tire intelligence. Summary of the invention

[0006] In view of the problems raised by the above background technology, the purpose of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings and defects of the prior art and to provide a simple, stable and reliable intelligent tire sensor system and sensor data acquisition synchronization method.

[0007] To achieve the above technical objectives, the technical solutions adopted by the embodiments of the present invention are as follows:

[0008] The intelligent tire sensor system of the present invention comprises: a six-axis inertial navigation sensor, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a wireless transceiver, a processor, a micro motor, a power supply system and a power supply, wherein the six axes of the six-axis inertial navigation sensor include: acceleration around the X, Y, and Z axes of a rectangular coordinate system and the rotational angular velocity around the X, Y, and Z axes; the wireless transceiver is connected to the processor and is used to send and receive signals with the outside; the power supply is used to power the intelligent tire sensor system; the power supply system is connected to the power supply, the processor, and the micro motor; the processor is used to obtain data from the six-axis inertial navigation sensor, the temperature sensor, and the pressure sensor and control the working mode of the micro motor and the power supply system, and control the transceiver to send and receive signals with the outside;

[0009] The micro motor includes an asymmetric gravity rotor. When the tire rotates, the asymmetric gravity rotor of the micro motor rotates synchronously with the stator along with the rotation of the tire, generates current and voltage output through electromagnetic field induction, and then manages the charging and discharging of the rechargeable battery through the power generation management unit and the charge and discharge unit;

[0010] The processor manages and controls the power supply system by detecting the output voltage and current of the micro motor, so that the micro motor or the rechargeable battery can supply power and the rechargeable battery can be charged by the micro motor at different moments of the tire's movement.

[0011] Optionally, the micro motor includes a Hall sensor and a temperature sensor to detect the rotation speed of the tire and the temperature of the motor.

[0012] Optionally, the power supply system includes: a power generation management unit and a charging and discharging unit; the power supply is a rechargeable battery;

[0013] When the tire is moving / or moving at high speed and the rechargeable battery is fully charged, the micro motor generates electricity and supplies power to the processor and various sensors through the power generation management unit; when the rechargeable battery 230 is not fully charged, the micro motor 210 generates electricity and supplies power to various sensors and processors through the power generation management unit 221, and at the same time charges the rechargeable battery 230 through the charge and discharge unit 222; when the tire is stationary / or moving at a low speed, the rechargeable battery 230 supplies power to various sensors and processors through the charge and discharge management unit 222.

[0014] Optionally, the processor includes a memory and a control unit. The control unit detects the rising edge and falling edge of the signal detected by each Hall sensor. At each rising edge and falling edge, the processor synchronously detects the tire pressure, tire temperature, acceleration, and angular velocity signal values. The control unit derives the tire speed at that time point in real time based on the change time of the rising edge and falling edge of the Hall sensor.

[0015] Optionally, the control unit calculates tire wear status and life information, and tire and road contact interface information based on information from each sensor.

[0016] Optionally, any one of the X, Y, and Z axes in the six-axis inertial navigation sensor is parallel or approximately parallel to the rotation center axis of the micro motor.

[0017] Optionally, the six-axis inertial navigation sensor, temperature sensor, and pressure sensor are electrically connected and installed on at least one or more circuit boards, and are guided and fixed in the shell by slots, clips, or screws in the shell made of plastic, metal, or ceramic material.

[0018] Optionally, the circuit board is formed into a sealed housing device by auxiliary materials.

[0019] Optionally, the intelligent tire sensor system also includes a mounting base. When installed, the shell device is installed on the tire / wheel hub or inserted into the mounting base on the tire or wheel hub. The installation or insertion direction makes the rotation center axis of the micro motor parallel or nearly parallel to the center axis of the tire.

[0020] Optionally, the mounting base 20 includes an open hollow cavity and a slit line 21 connected to the hollow cavity, and the shell device is installed at a central position in the tire along the mounting base slit line 21 and the tire center axis direction.

[0021] Optionally, the housing device and the mounting base 20 are integrated and directly mounted and attached to the center position of the inner surface of the tire.

[0022] Optionally, the micro motor includes a stator 19B with multiple sets of coils and a circuit board 12 that are fixed and combined together, and the multiple sets of coils are electrically connected to the Hall sensor and the temperature sensor through connecting wires and are installed on the same circuit board 12.

[0023] Optionally, each component of the intelligent tire sensor system is electrically connected and mounted on at least one or more circuit boards, and is guided and fixedly mounted in the housing through a slot, buckle, etc. in a housing made of plastic, metal, or ceramic, and then a sealed housing device is formed by auxiliary materials such as silicone or glue. The sealed housing device can withstand the tire pressure in the vehicle tire and protect the module installed in the sealed housing from damage. In the housing, one of the X, Y, and Z axes included in the inertial navigation sensor is parallel or nearly parallel to the rotation center axis of the micro motor.

[0024] Optionally, when a tire equipped with an intelligent tire sensor system is moving or stationary, the control program and algorithm of the control unit running in the memory inside or outside the processor periodically collects information about the vehicle's intelligent tire in real time, including but not limited to the tire pressure, tire temperature, six-axis X, Y, Z acceleration and angular velocity around X, Y, Z, voltage and power of the rechargeable battery, current and voltage output by the micromotor, motor Hall sensor information, motor temperature, tire speed, forward or reverse rotation, position information of the sensor relative to the tire center axis when the tire is moving or stationary, fault information, etc. This information is transmitted by the wireless transceiver to the vehicle's wireless receiving central control system (for example, an intelligent tire domain controller, a body domain controller, an autonomous driving domain controller or other central / regional domain controllers, etc.) through wireless communication, so as to realize real-time detection and / or monitoring of the vehicle tire information by the vehicle's wireless receiving system, and the tire wear status and life information, and tire and road contact interface information including but not limited to the friction and friction coefficient between the tire and the road, etc. obtained by processing and calculating and analyzing the above information data by the vehicle's wireless receiving central control system.

[0025] In one embodiment, considering that the vehicle tire is always rotating when driving, any device installed on the tire or wheel hub cannot directly draw power from the vehicle's power system through cables, nor can it transmit the vehicle tire sensor information to the vehicle tire intelligent management system through cables. Therefore, the intelligent tire sensor system is installed on the tire inside the vehicle tire or on the wheel hub inside the vehicle tire, or inserted into a mounting base attached to the tire inside the tire or on the wheel hub. The direction of installation or insertion is based on the mark on the sensor housing so that the rotation center axis of the micro motor is parallel or nearly parallel to the center axis of the tire. When the tire rotates, the sensor system realizes independent self-generation.

[0026] A data acquisition synchronization method for an intelligent tire sensor system, when the tire is moving / or moving at high speed and the rechargeable battery is fully charged, the micro motor generates electricity and supplies power to the processor and each sensor through the power generation management unit; when the rechargeable battery 230 is not fully charged, the micro motor 210 generates electricity and supplies power to each sensor and processor through the power generation management unit 221, and simultaneously charges the rechargeable battery 230 through the charge and discharge unit 222; when the tire is stationary / or moving at low speed, the rechargeable battery 230 supplies power to each sensor and processor through the charge and discharge management unit 222.

[0027] Optionally, the processor includes a memory and a control unit. The control unit detects the rising edge and falling edge of the signal detected by each Hall sensor. At each rising edge and falling edge, the processor synchronously detects the tire pressure, tire temperature, acceleration, and angular velocity signal values. The control unit derives the tire speed at that time point in real time based on the change time of the rising edge and falling edge of the Hall sensor.

[0028] Optionally, the processor simultaneously detects the output current and voltage of the micro motor, the voltage and charge of the rechargeable battery, and the temperature of the micro motor.

[0029] The present invention can realize self-generation simply, stably and reliably and can collect data to monitor the status of the vehicle through the synchronization method and the structure and interconnection arrangement of the components. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] For better illustration, the present invention may be further described by way of non-limiting embodiments given in the accompanying drawings;

[0031] Figure 1 A block diagram of a smart tire sensor system according to one or more embodiments is shown;

[0032] Figure 2 shows a structural cross-sectional view of an intelligent tire sensor system;

[0033] Figure 3 A block diagram of the intelligent tire sensor system and mounting base is shown;

[0034] Figure 4 A structural diagram showing the intelligent tire sensor system and the mounting base installed in the tire;

[0035] Figure 5 A structural diagram showing an intelligent tire sensor system and a mounting base as one body;

[0036] Figure 6 A block diagram of a synchronous method for collecting tire-related data by an intelligent tire sensor system is shown;

[0037] Figure 7The figure shows the synchronous corresponding correlation diagram of the intelligent tire sensor system collecting tire related data. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] In the following, a number of details are set forth to provide a more thorough explanation of the exemplary embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other examples, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form or schematic form rather than in detail to avoid obscuring the embodiments. In addition, unless otherwise noted, the features of the different embodiments described below may be combined with each other.

[0039] In addition, equivalent or similar reference numerals are used in the following description to indicate equivalent or similar elements having comparable or similar functions. Since identical or functionally equivalent elements are given the same reference symbols in the drawings, repeated descriptions of elements having the same reference symbols may be omitted. Therefore, descriptions provided for elements having the same or similar reference symbols are interchangeable.

[0040] It is understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it may be directly connected or coupled to the other element or there may be an intermediate element. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, there may be no intermediate element. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a similar manner (e.g., "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.).

[0041] In the embodiments described herein or illustrated in the accompanying drawings, any direct electrical connection or coupling (i.e., any connection or coupling without additional intermediate elements) may also be achieved by an indirect connection or coupling, i.e., a connection or coupling with one or more additional intermediate elements, and vice versa, as long as the general purpose of the connection or coupling is substantially maintained, e.g., transmitting a particular kind of signal or transmitting a particular kind of information. Features from different embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments. For example, changes or modifications described with respect to one embodiment may also apply to other embodiments, unless otherwise indicated.

[0042] Embodiments relate to sensors and sensor systems and obtaining information about sensors and sensor systems. A sensor may refer to a component that converts a measured physical quantity into an electrical signal (e.g., a current signal or a voltage signal). For example, the physical quantity may include a magnetic field (e.g., the earth's magnetic field), an electric field, pressure, acceleration, angular velocity, temperature, force, current, or voltage, but is not limited thereto. As described herein, the sensor may be an angle sensor, a Hall sensor, a linear position sensor, a velocity sensor, a motion sensor, a pressure sensor, an acceleration sensor, a temperature sensor, etc.

[0043] For example, a magnetic field sensor includes one or more magnetic field sensor elements that measure and detect and / or measure one or more characteristics of a magnetic field (e.g., quantities of magnetic field flux density, magnetic field strength, magnetic field angle, magnetic field direction, magnetic field orientation, etc.) corresponding to a magnetic field pattern of an element that generates a magnetic field (e.g., a magnet, a current-carrying conductor (e.g., a wire), the earth, or other magnetic field source).

[0044] The sensor circuit may be a signal processing circuit and / or a signal conditioning circuit that receives a signal from the pressure field sensor element in the form of raw measurement data (i.e., a sensor signal). The sensor circuit may include an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that converts an analog signal from the pressure sensor into a digital signal. The sensor circuit may also include a digital signal processor (DSP) that performs some processing on the digital signal (e.g., prepares tire pressure information for transmission). Thus, the sensor package includes circuitry that conditions and amplifies the small signal of the pressure sensor via signal processing and / or conditioning.

[0045] The intelligent tire sensor system of the present invention comprises: a six-axis inertial navigation sensor, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a wireless transceiver, a processor, a micro motor, a power supply system and a power supply, wherein

[0046] The six axes of the six-axis inertial navigation sensor include: acceleration around the X, Y, and Z axes of the rectangular coordinate system and the rotational angular velocity around the X, Y, and Z axes; the wireless transceiver is connected to the processor for receiving and sending signals to the outside; the power supply is used to power the intelligent tire sensor system; the power supply system is connected to the power supply, the processor, and the micro motor; the processor is used to obtain data from the six-axis inertial navigation sensor, the temperature sensor, and the pressure sensor and control the working mode of the micro motor and the power supply system, and control the transceiver to send and receive signals to the outside;

[0047] The micro motor includes an asymmetric gravity rotor. When the tire rotates, the asymmetric gravity rotor of the micro motor rotates synchronously with the stator along with the rotation of the tire, generates current and voltage output through electromagnetic field induction, and then manages the charging and discharging of the rechargeable battery through the power generation management unit and the charge and discharge unit;

[0048] The processor manages and controls the power supply system by detecting the output voltage and current of the micro motor, so that the micro motor or the rechargeable battery can supply power and the rechargeable battery can be charged by the micro motor at different moments of the tire's movement.

[0049] In one embodiment, the micro motor includes a Hall sensor and a temperature sensor to detect the rotation speed of the tire and the temperature of the motor.

[0050] In one embodiment, the power supply system includes: a power generation management unit and a charge and discharge unit; the power supply is a rechargeable battery;

[0051] When the tire is moving and / or moving at high speed, and the rechargeable battery is fully charged, the micro motor generates electricity and supplies power to the processor and various sensors through the power generation management unit; when the rechargeable battery is not fully charged, the micro motor generates electricity and supplies power to various sensors and the processor through the power generation management unit, and at the same time charges the rechargeable battery through the charge and discharge unit; when the tire is stationary and / or moving at a low speed, the rechargeable battery supplies power to various sensors and the processor through the charge and discharge management unit.

[0052] In one embodiment, the processor includes a memory and a control unit. The control unit detects the rising edge and falling edge of the signal detected by each Hall sensor. At each rising edge and falling edge, the processor synchronously detects the tire pressure, tire temperature, acceleration, and angular velocity signal values. The control unit obtains the tire speed at that time point in real time based on the change time of the rising edge and falling edge of the Hall sensor.

[0053] In one embodiment, the control unit calculates tire wear status and life information, and tire and road surface contact interface information based on information from various sensors.

[0054] In one embodiment, any one of the X, Y, and Z axes in the six-axis inertial navigation sensor is parallel or approximately parallel to the rotation center axis of the micro motor.

[0055] In one embodiment, the six-axis inertial navigation sensor, temperature sensor, and pressure sensor are electrically connected and installed on at least one or more circuit boards, and are guided and fixed in the shell by slots, buckles, or screws in the shell made of plastic, metal, or ceramic materials.

[0056] In one embodiment, the circuit board is formed into a sealed housing device by auxiliary materials.

[0057] In one embodiment, the intelligent tire sensor system also includes a mounting base. When installed, the shell device is installed on the tire / wheel hub or inserted into the mounting base on the tire or wheel hub. The direction of installation or insertion makes the rotation center axis of the micro motor parallel or nearly parallel to the center axis of the tire.

[0058] In one embodiment, the mounting base includes an open hollow cavity and a slit line 21 connected to the hollow cavity, and the housing device is installed at the center position in the tire along the slit line of the mounting base and the center axis of the tire.

[0059] In one embodiment, the housing device and the mounting base are integrated and directly mounted and attached to the center position of the inner surface of the tire.

[0060] In one embodiment, the micro motor includes a stator and a circuit board with multiple sets of coils fixed and combined together, and the multiple sets of coils are installed on the same circuit board through connecting wires and Hall sensors and temperature sensors.

[0061] In one embodiment, each component of the intelligent tire sensor system is electrically connected and mounted on at least one or more circuit boards, and is guided and fixedly mounted in the housing through a slot, buckle, etc. in a housing made of plastic, metal, or ceramic, and then a sealed housing device is formed by auxiliary materials such as silicone or glue. The sealed housing device can withstand the tire pressure in the vehicle tire and protect the module installed in the sealed housing from damage. In the housing, one of the X, Y, and Z axes included in the inertial navigation sensor is parallel or nearly parallel to the rotation center axis of the micro motor.

[0062] In one embodiment, when a tire equipped with an intelligent tire sensor system is moving or stationary, a control program and algorithm of a control unit running in a memory inside or outside a processor periodically collects information of the vehicle's intelligent tire in real time, including but not limited to tire pressure, tire temperature, six-axis X, Y, Z acceleration and angular velocity around X, Y, Z, voltage and power of a rechargeable battery, current and voltage output by a micromotor, motor Hall sensor information, motor temperature, tire speed, forward or reverse rotation, position information of the sensor relative to the tire center axis when the tire is moving or stationary, fault information, etc. This information is transmitted by a wireless transceiver to a vehicle wireless receiving central control system, etc. through wireless communication, so as to realize real-time detection and / or monitoring of the vehicle tire and vehicle status by the vehicle wireless receiving central control system, and tire wear status and life information, tire and road contact interface information including but not limited to friction and friction coefficient between the tire and the road, etc. obtained by processing and calculating and analyzing the above information data by the vehicle wireless receiving central control system.

[0063] In one embodiment, considering that the vehicle tire is always rotating when driving, any device installed on the tire or wheel hub cannot directly draw power from the vehicle's power system through cables, nor can it transmit the vehicle tire sensor information to the vehicle tire intelligent management system through cables. Therefore, the intelligent tire sensor system is installed on the tire inside the vehicle tire or on the wheel hub inside the vehicle tire, or inserted into a mounting base attached to the tire inside the tire or on the wheel hub. The direction of installation or insertion is based on the mark on the sensor housing so that the rotation center axis of the micro motor is parallel or nearly parallel to the center axis of the tire. When the tire rotates, the sensor device realizes independent self-generation.

[0064] As used herein, signal conditioning refers to manipulating an analog signal in such a way that it meets the requirements of further processing at the next stage. Signal conditioning can include conversion from analog to digital (e.g., via an analog-to-digital converter), amplification, filtering, conversion, biasing, range matching, isolation, and any other processing required to make the sensor output suitable for processing after conditioning.

[0065] In one or more embodiments, the pressure sensor and the sensor circuit are both housed, i.e., integrated in the same chip package, such as a plastic sealed package, such as a lead package or a lead-free package or a surface mounted device (SMD) package. Such a chip package is also referred to as a sensor package. The sensor package can be combined with other components to form a sensor module, a sensor device, etc.

[0066] In one or more embodiments, a sensor may refer to a device including a sensor and a sensor circuit as described above. The sensor device can be integrated on a single semiconductor die (e.g., a silicon die or chip), although in other embodiments, multiple dies can be used to implement the sensor. Therefore, the sensor and the sensor circuit are arranged on the same semiconductor die or on multiple dies in the same package. For example, the sensor can be on one die and the sensor circuit on another die so that they are electrically connected to each other within the package. In this case, the die can be composed of the same or different semiconductor materials, such as GaAs and Si, or the sensor can be sputtered onto a ceramic or glass plate that is not a semiconductor.

[0067] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0068] Figure 1 The intelligent tire sensor system 10 according to one or more embodiments is shown. The intelligent tire sensor system 10 is installed in a tire. In this embodiment, it includes a processor (microcontroller unit) 110, a transceiver 120, a pressure sensor 130, a temperature sensor 140, an inertial navigation sensor 150, a micro motor 210, a power system 220, and a rechargeable battery 230.

[0069] The inertial navigation sensor 150 is a six-axis inertial navigation sensor including an accelerometer 151 and a gyroscope 152 .

[0070] The accelerometer 151 and the gyroscope 152 are configured to detect and / or measure the acceleration and angular velocity of the tire, for example, to detect the movement of the vehicle and the wear condition of the tire.

[0071] The pressure sensor 130 may be a semiconductor sensor chip, for example, a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) pressure sensor. The pressure sensor 130, the temperature sensor 140 and the processor 110 are electrically connected and configured to measure the internal air pressure and temperature of the tire.

[0072] The processor 110 includes a memory 111 and a control program and algorithm unit 300 .

[0073] The processor 110 is configured to receive signals from one or more components of the smart tire sensor system 10, such as sensor signals from a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and an inertial sensor. The processor 110 may also include one or more storage devices, or be electrically connected to one or more storage devices provided in the smart tire sensor system 10.

[0074] The power supply system 220 includes a power generation management unit 221 and a charge and discharge management unit 222. The micro motor 210 includes a Hall sensor 211 and a temperature sensor 212 of the motor.

[0075] The transceiver 120 includes at least one or more wireless communications, including Bluetooth, UWB, RFID, 315MHz / 433MHz radio frequency, etc. The transceiver 120 can be configured for two-way communication, so that it can both receive information (e.g., configuration information, control information, confirmation information) and transmit information (e.g., tire pressure information, speed information, acceleration information, angular velocity information, etc.). For example, the transceiver 120 can be a Bluetooth transceiver, which can communicate using Bluetooth low energy (BLE) signals. The transceiver 120 can be configured to communicate with a vehicle electronic control unit (ECU), a setting tool, a diagnostic and testing tool, a mobile device, etc. The mobile device can be a mobile phone.

[0076] The transceiver 120 is electrically connected to the processor 110 and is configured to send information to the vehicle ECU, the setting tool, the diagnostic and test tool, or the mobile device. The transceiver 120 can transmit signals, such as data and / or feedback information, to the vehicle ECU, the setting tool, the diagnostic and test tool, or the mobile device in response to the processor 110 receiving data from the vehicle ECU, the setting tool, the diagnostic and test tool, or the mobile device in the form of information, confirmation, or command.

[0077] Although Figure 1 Although not shown, the single-chip device 100 may also include a magnetic sensor electrically connected to the processor 110 and configured to measure the magnetic field impinging thereon and generate magnetic field information. Thus, the processor 110 may receive sensor information from any sensor provided in the smart tire sensor system 10.

[0078] In one embodiment, multiple sensors, processors, and transceivers are integrated into a single-chip device 100, such as within an integrated circuit package or within a single die, but it should be understood that one or more components, such as transceiver 120, may be provided on a separate die within an integrated circuit package.

[0079] The intelligent tire sensor system 10 also includes a micro motor 210 integrated with a Hall sensor 211 and / or a temperature sensor 212 and a rechargeable battery 230. The processor 110 is electrically connected to the Hall sensor 211 and the temperature sensor 212 to detect the rotation speed of the tire and the temperature of the motor, and the rotation speed of the tire is synchronized with the rotation speed of the motor. The power supply system 220 also includes a power generation management unit 221 and a charge and discharge management unit 222. When the tire rotates, the asymmetric gravity rotor of the micro motor 210 rotates synchronously with the stator as the tire rotates, and generates current and voltage output through electromagnetic field induction, and then the rechargeable battery 230 is charged and discharged through the power generation management unit 221 and the charge and discharge unit 222. The processor 110 manages and controls the power supply system 220 including the power generation management unit 221 and the charge and discharge management unit 222 by detecting the output voltage and current of the micro motor 210.

[0080] When the rechargeable battery 230 is fully charged, the micro motor 210 generates electricity to directly supply power to the intelligent tire sensor system and its components through the power generation management unit 211 and the power system 220; when the rechargeable battery 230 is not fully charged, the micro motor 210 generates electricity to directly supply power to the intelligent tire sensor system and its components through the power generation management unit 221 and the power system 220, and at the same time charges the rechargeable battery 230 through the charge and discharge circuit 222; when the tire is stationary or moving at a low speed, the rechargeable battery 230 supplies power to the intelligent tire sensor system and its components through the power system 220 and the charge and discharge management unit 222.

[0081] The micro motor uses a BLDC brushless DC motor, or a PMSM permanent magnet synchronous motor, or other motors that can run at high speed.

[0082] The above-mentioned components are electrically connected and installed on at least one or more circuit boards, at least one of which contains at least one wireless antenna as a transceiver, and is guided and fixed in the shell through a card slot, a buckle, etc. in a shell made of plastic, metal, ceramic or other materials. In the shell, one of the X, Y, and Z axes contained in the inertial navigation sensor is parallel to the rotation center axis of the micro motor, and a sealed shell device is formed by auxiliary materials such as silicone or glue. The sealed shell device can withstand the tire pressure in the vehicle tire and protect the module installed in the sealed shell from damage.

[0083] The intelligent tire sensor system also includes a mounting base, and a shell device has a mark. When installed, the intelligent tire sensor system device is installed on a tire inside a vehicle tire or on a wheel hub inside a vehicle tire, or inserted into a mounting base attached to the tire inside a tire or on the wheel hub. The direction of installation or insertion is based on the mark on the shell device so that the rotation center axis of the micro motor is parallel to the center axis of the tire. When the tire rotates, the sensor module device realizes independent self-generation.

[0084] When the tire equipped with the intelligent tire sensor system device is moving or stationary, the control program and algorithm running in the memory inside or outside the processor periodically collects information of the vehicle's intelligent tire in real time, including but not limited to the tire pressure of the vehicle tire, the temperature inside the tire, the acceleration information of the six axes (for example: X, Y, Z axis and rotation around X, Y, Z) in the X, Y, Z directions and the angular velocity information around X, Y, Z, the voltage and power of the rechargeable battery, the current and voltage output by the micro motor, the motor Hall sensor information, the temperature of the motor, the rotation speed of the tire, forward or reverse rotation, the position information of the sensor relative to the tire center axis when the tire is moving or stationary, fault information, etc., and this information is transmitted to the vehicle wireless receiving central control system, etc. through wireless communication, so as to realize the real-time detection and / or monitoring of the vehicle tire information by the vehicle wireless receiving central control system, and the tire wear status and life information, tire and road contact interface information including but not limited to the friction force and friction coefficient between the tire and the road are obtained by processing and calculating and analyzing the above information data by the vehicle wireless receiving central control system.

[0085] like Figure 2 The installation structure of the smart tire sensor system 10 shown in the figure, the stator 19B of the micro motor including multiple sets of coils and the circuit board 12 are fixed and combined and installed together, the multiple sets of coils are installed and connected to the circuit board 12 through connecting wires and the Hall sensor and the temperature sensor, including welding, and the asymmetric center of gravity rotor of the micro motor includes multiple sets of magnetic poles 19A that rotate relative to the stator 19B of the micro motor. In one embodiment, the power supply system including power generation management and charge and discharge management is also electrically connected and installed on the circuit board 12, such as welding; the circuit board 12 is installed and fixed in the housing 11 along the guide groove of the housing 11. In one embodiment, other components (for example, inertial navigation sensors, pressure sensors, etc.) are electrically connected and installed, such as welding, on the circuit board 13, and the circuit board containing the transceiver contains a corresponding wireless antenna. The circuit board 13 is fixed in the housing by means of buckles or screws in the housing. The circuit boards 12 and 13 are electrically connected by connectors, such as board-to-board connectors. The circuit board 13 is fixed by buckles or screw holes and forms a perpendicular intersection with the circuit board 12, ensuring that one of the X, Y, and Z axes of the 6-axis inertial navigation sensor is parallel or nearly parallel to the rotation center axis of the motor. The rotation center axis of the micro motor after installation is perpendicular to the circuit board 13. Figure 3Installation arrow mark as shown.

[0086] In one embodiment, the rechargeable battery 14 can be installed on the circuit board 12, or on the circuit board 13, or in other spaces in the housing and electrically connected to the charging and discharging unit through a connector. The rechargeable battery includes a lithium battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, a lithium polymer battery, or other power storage devices (e.g., a supercapacitor, etc.).

[0087] In one embodiment, all components can also be electrically connected and mounted on a circuit board 13. The filled silicone or plastic parts are glued to the housing 11 to form a sealed housing device 15, which can withstand the tire pressure in the vehicle tire and protect the module installed in the sealed housing from damage. Further, the intelligent tire sensor system 10 includes an air hole 18 and an air cavity 17 that communicate with the pressure and temperature sensor, and a rubber ring 16 isolates the air cavity 17 to directly detect the tire pressure and temperature.

[0088] In one embodiment, three-way Hall sensors are mounted on a circuit board fixed to a multi-way coil stator.

[0089] In one embodiment, Figure 3 The smart tire sensor system 10 shown includes an arrow mark on the top of the housing device, and the mounting base 20 includes an open hollow cavity and a slit line 21. The housing device is attached and mounted at the center position of the tire along the slit line 21 of the mounting base and the tire center axis direction, as shown in Figure 4. The mounting base is inserted from the opening direction of the mounting base along the arrow mark direction of the smart tire sensor system 10 as the rotation direction of the tire. In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, Figure 5 As shown, the intelligent tire sensor system 10 and the mounting base 20 are integrated, and are directly mounted and attached to the center position of the inner surface of the tire through the mounting hole 32, and the direction of the arrow mark 31 is along the movement and rotation direction of the tire.

[0090] The present invention also provides a data acquisition synchronization method for an intelligent tire sensor system. When the tire is moving and / or moving at high speed, and the rechargeable battery is fully charged, the micro motor generates electricity and supplies power to the processor and each sensor through the power generation management unit; when the rechargeable battery 230 is not fully charged, the micro motor 210 generates electricity and supplies power to each sensor and processor through the power generation management unit 221, and simultaneously charges the rechargeable battery 230 through the charge and discharge unit 222; when the tire is stationary and / or moving at low speed, the rechargeable battery 230 supplies power to each sensor and processor through the charge and discharge management unit 222.

[0091] In one embodiment, the processor includes a memory and a control unit. The control unit detects the rising edge and falling edge of the signal detected by each Hall sensor. At each rising edge and falling edge, the processor synchronously detects the tire pressure, tire temperature, acceleration, and angular velocity signal values. The control unit obtains the tire speed at that time point in real time based on the change time of the rising edge and falling edge of the Hall sensor.

[0092] In one embodiment, the processor simultaneously detects the output current and voltage of the micro motor, the voltage and charge of the rechargeable battery, and the temperature of the micro motor.

[0093] Figure 6 A method for synchronously collecting tire-related status data by the smart tire sensor system is shown, and each smart tire sensor system 10 is configured to perform various tasks and functions during operation.

[0094] First, at the Hall rising edge / falling edge 310, a sampling period for obtaining N (N>1) multiple sensor samples is determined. In an embodiment, when the tire moves, the rising edge and falling edge of the Hall sensors A, B, and C output from the micro motor are determined as the sampling period. With this sampling period, regardless of whether the tire movement speed is high or low, the number of change cycles of the rising edge and falling edge output by the Hall sensors A, B, and C is fixed when the tire rotates one circle, and the number of sampling samples when the tire rotates one circle is also fixed, the number of N and the number of change cycles of the rising edge and falling edge output by the Hall sensors A, B, and C. As needed, if the tire speed is low, the number of samples from the rising edge and falling edge of the Hall sensor to the present can be increased to achieve a higher sampling frequency; as needed, if the tire speed is very high, the sampling period can be increased between the rising edge and falling edge of the Hall sensor, or the sampling period can be reduced, such as only sampling information at the rising edge or falling edge of the Hall sensor.

[0095] In another embodiment, the sampling period can be found by sampling the chirp. First, a certain number of samples are taken with an initially very small sampling period. These samples are evaluated by a criterion that should determine whether a sufficient portion of the oscillation signal is observed (e.g., half a period). If the criterion is met, the sampling period is found. If the criterion is not met, the sampling period is increased, a certain number of samples are taken, and the criterion is checked again.

[0096] After the sampling period is determined, the sensor of the tire is configured to acquire, digitize and store N acceleration samples, N angular velocity samples, and N Hall sensor samples at acquire and store N samples 320 .

[0097] At the step of calculating tire speed by using Hall information 330, all N Hall sensor samples are converted into RPM (tire revolutions per minute) values, and the converted RPM and N acceleration samples and N angular velocity samples are associated with N tire speed samples.

[0098] The data packets are transmitted to the central control system 340, and the data packets include: tire sensor module identification; pressure, temperature and acceleration, angular velocity, speed (rotation speed) and / or other sensor samples; sampling period; and processing time. The processing time is the time between the end of acquisition and data transmission.

[0099] In the embodiment, the rising edge and / or falling edge of the Hall sensor is used to synchronously collect data, and the frequency of collecting data changes in direct proportion with the change of the tire speed. A higher tire speed causes the motor to generate more electricity, and a higher tire speed generates a higher data sampling frequency and a data transmission frequency. A higher data sampling frequency and a data transmission frequency consume more electricity. When the tire moves at high speed, when the battery power is in a rechargeable state, the intelligent tire sensor system can also charge the battery with excess power generation. When the tire moves at high speed, when the battery power is in a full state, the intelligent tire sensor system can consume the excess power generation by increasing the data sampling frequency, the data transmission frequency, and adjusting the radio frequency transmission power within a reasonable range. Therefore, the intelligent tire sensor system can intelligently manage the power supply system, achieve a dynamic balance between the power generation and power consumption of the intelligent tire sensor system when the tire moves at different speeds, and realize the long-term stable and reliable operation of the intelligent tire sensor system without the risk of excessive power generation or insufficient power.

[0100] In an embodiment, the wireless receiving central control system is located in the vehicle body and is powered by the vehicle power supply. At least for this reason, the wireless receiving central control system has much more processing power than the intelligent tire sensor system 10. In an embodiment, the central control system is configured to receive data packets from the intelligent tire sensor system 10, record the reception time of each data packet, and further process the data in the data packet. In one embodiment, the central control system is configured to run an algorithm in the memory to calculate the tire wear state and life information, tire and road contact interface information including but not limited to the friction and friction coefficient between the tire and the road, and the identification of the road surface, such as ice surface, etc. based on these sensor information.

[0101] In one embodiment, the wireless receiving central control system can also access data from fixed wheel rotation sensors, such as sensors from anti-lock braking systems (ABS) or electronic stability control (ESC). Data from ABS and / or ESC includes a time stamp and can be stored in the wireless receiving central control system.

[0102] like Figure 7 As shown, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the acceleration samples and angular velocity samples collected on the rising and falling edge time axis of the Hall sensors A, B, and C of the micro motor and the tire speed RPM obtained by converting the Hall information data. In one embodiment, on the time axis Tn, the processor can simultaneously detect the output current and voltage of the micro motor, the voltage and power of the rechargeable battery, the temperature of the micro motor, etc.

[0103] Although the above describes the illustrative specific embodiments of the present invention to facilitate those skilled in the art to understand the present invention, and it should be clear that the present invention is not limited to the scope of the specific embodiments, for those of ordinary skill in the art, as long as various changes are within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined and determined by the attached claims, these changes are obvious, and all inventions and creations using the concept of the present invention are protected.

[0104] Although various embodiments have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that there may be many more embodiments and implementations within the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present invention is not limited except in accordance with the appended claims and their equivalents. With respect to the various functions performed by the above-mentioned components or structures (assemblies, devices, circuits, systems, etc.), unless otherwise specified, the terms used to describe these components (including references to "devices") are intended to correspond to any component or structure that performs the specified function of the component (i.e., functionally equivalent), even if there is no disclosed structure that is structurally equivalent to the function performed in the exemplary implementation of the invention shown herein.

[0105] In addition, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, where each claim can stand on its own as a separate exemplary embodiment. Although each claim can stand on its own as a separate exemplary embodiment, it should be noted that although a dependent claim may mention a specific combination with one or more other claims in a claim, other exemplary embodiments may also include a combination of a dependent claim with the subject matter of a dependent or independent claim. Unless it is stated that a specific combination is not intended, such a combination is suggested here. In addition, it is also used to include features of one claim to any other independent claim, even if the claim is not directly dependent on the independent claim.

[0106] It should also be noted that methods disclosed in the specification or claims may be implemented by a device having means for performing each of the respective actions of these methods, and vice versa, where a function or arrangement of functions described in the context of one or more devices of implementation may be performed as a method.

[0107] In addition, it should be understood that the disclosure of multiple actions or functions disclosed in the specification or claims cannot be interpreted as being in a specific order. Therefore, unless these actions or functions are not interchangeable for technical reasons, the disclosure of multiple actions or functions will not be limited to a specific order. In addition, in some embodiments, a single action may include or may be divided into multiple sub-actions. Unless explicitly excluded, such sub-actions may be included and are part of the disclosure of the single action.

[0108] The techniques described in this disclosure may be implemented, at least in part, in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. For example, various aspects of the described techniques may be implemented in one or more processors, including one or more microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any other equivalent integrated or discrete logic circuits, and any combination of these components. The term "processor" or "processing circuit" may generally refer to any of the above-mentioned logic circuits, used alone or in combination with other logic circuits or any other equivalent circuits. A control unit including hardware may also perform one or more of the techniques of this disclosure. Such hardware, software, and firmware may be implemented in the same device or in separate devices to support the various techniques described in this disclosure.

[0109] Although various exemplary embodiments have been disclosed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made to achieve some of the advantages of the concepts disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other components performing the same functions may be appropriately substituted. It should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. It should be noted that features explained with reference to a particular figure may be combined with features of other figures, even in those features not explicitly mentioned. Such modifications to the general inventive concept are intended to be covered by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

[0110] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone familiar with the technology may modify or change the above embodiments without violating the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or changes made by those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field without departing from the spirit and technical ideas disclosed by the present invention should still be covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An intelligent tire sensor system, characterized in that: include: Six-axis inertial navigation sensor, temperature sensor, pressure sensor, wireless transceiver, processor, micro motor, power supply system and power supply, including The six axes of the six-axis inertial navigation sensor include: acceleration around the X, Y, and Z axes of the rectangular coordinate system and the rotational angular velocity around the X, Y, and Z axes; the wireless transceiver is connected to the processor for receiving and sending signals to the outside; the power supply is used to power the intelligent tire sensor system; the power supply system is connected to the power supply, the processor, and the micro motor; the processor is used to obtain data from the six-axis inertial navigation sensor, the temperature sensor, and the pressure sensor and control the working mode of the micro motor and the power supply system, and control the transceiver to send and receive signals to the outside; The micro motor includes an asymmetric gravity rotor. When the tire rotates, the asymmetric gravity rotor of the micro motor rotates synchronously with the stator along with the rotation of the tire, generates current and voltage output through electromagnetic field induction, and then manages the charging and discharging of the rechargeable battery through the power generation management unit and the charge and discharge unit; The processor manages and controls the power supply system by detecting the output voltage and current of the micro motor, so that the micro motor or the rechargeable battery can supply power and the rechargeable battery can be charged by the micro motor at different moments of the tire's movement.

2. The intelligent tire sensor system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The micro motor includes a Hall sensor and a temperature sensor to detect the rotation speed of the tire and the temperature of the motor.

3. The intelligent tire sensor system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power supply system includes: a power generation management unit and a charging and discharging unit; the power supply is a rechargeable battery; When the tire is moving / or moving at high speed, and the rechargeable battery is fully charged, the micro motor generates electricity, and supplies power to the processor and various sensors through the power generation management unit; when the rechargeable battery is not fully charged, the micro motor generates electricity, and supplies power to various sensors and the processor through the power generation management unit, and at the same time charges the rechargeable battery through the charging and discharging unit; When the tire is stationary and / or moving at a low speed, the rechargeable battery supplies power to the sensors and processor via the charge and discharge management unit.

4. The intelligent tire sensor system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The processor includes a memory and a control unit. The control unit detects the rising edge and falling edge of the signal detected by each Hall sensor. At each rising edge and falling edge, the processor synchronously detects the tire pressure, tire temperature, acceleration, and angular velocity signal values. The control unit converts the change time of the rising edge and falling edge of the Hall sensor in real time to obtain the tire speed at that time point.

5. The intelligent tire sensor system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control unit calculates the tire wear status and life information, and the tire and road contact interface information based on the information from each sensor.

6. The intelligent tire sensor system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Any one of the X, Y, and Z axes in the six-axis inertial navigation sensor is parallel or approximately parallel to the rotation center axis of the micro motor.

7. The intelligent tire sensor system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The six-axis inertial navigation sensor, temperature sensor, pressure sensor, and processor are electrically connected and installed on at least one or more circuit boards, and are guided and fixed in the shell through slots, buckles, or screws in the shell made of plastic, metal, or ceramic materials.

8. The intelligent tire sensor system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The circuit board is formed into a sealed housing device by auxiliary materials.

9. The intelligent tire sensor system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The intelligent tire sensor system also includes a mounting base. When installed, the shell device is installed on the tire / wheel hub or inserted into the mounting base on the tire or wheel hub. The installation or insertion direction makes the rotation center axis of the micro motor parallel or nearly parallel to the center axis of the tire.

10. The intelligent tire sensor system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The mounting base comprises an open hollow cavity and a slit line connected to the hollow cavity, and the shell device is installed at the center position in the tire along the slit line of the mounting base and the center axis direction of the tire.

11. The intelligent tire sensor system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The housing device and the mounting base are integrated and directly mounted and attached to the center position of the inner surface of the tire.

12. The intelligent tire sensor system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The micro motor comprises a stator and a circuit board with multiple sets of coils fixed and combined together, and the multiple sets of coils are installed on the same circuit board through connecting wires, Hall sensors and temperature sensors.

13. A data acquisition and synchronization method for an intelligent tire sensor system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that: When the tire is moving / or moving at high speed and the rechargeable battery is fully charged, the micro motor generates electricity and supplies power to the processor and various sensors through the power generation management unit; when the rechargeable battery is not fully charged, the micro motor generates electricity and supplies power to various sensors and the processor through the power generation management unit, and at the same time charges the rechargeable battery through the charge and discharge unit; when the tire is stationary / or moving at low speed, the rechargeable battery supplies power to various sensors and the processor through the charge and discharge management unit.

14. The data acquisition synchronization method according to claim 13, characterized in that: The processor includes a memory and a control unit. The control unit detects the rising edge and falling edge of the signal detected by each Hall sensor. At each rising edge and falling edge, the processor synchronously detects the tire pressure, tire temperature, acceleration, and angular velocity signal values. The control unit converts the changing time of the rising edge and falling edge of the Hall sensor in real time to obtain the synchronous tire speed at that time point.

15. The data acquisition synchronization method according to claim 13, characterized in that: The processor simultaneously detects the output current and voltage of the micro motor, the voltage and power of the rechargeable battery and the temperature of the micro motor.

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