Automated axle lift for heavy vehicles or vehicle combinations based on lift axle capabilities

Abstract

The invention relates to an automated axle lift for heavy vehicles or vehicle combinations based on lift axle capabilities. Specifically, a computer system (200) for controlling lift shafts (130) of a heavy vehicle is provided, the computer system comprising processing circuitry (210) configured to obtain capability data (132) indicative of lift shaft capability of each of the lift shafts, wherein the capability data is indicative of a horizontal rate of change limit for each of the lift axes; obtaining road data (220) relating to a road segment (222) along which the vehicle will travel; a desired lift axis configuration for the road segment is determined based on the obtained road data, and lowering or raising of each of the lift axes is controlled based on the obtained capability data to achieve the desired lift axis configuration at the road segment. A corresponding method, a vehicle comprising the apparatus, and a corresponding computer program product and computer readable storage medium are also provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to the field of heavy vehicles or vehicle combinations having one or more lift axles. In particular aspects, the present disclosure relates to automated axle lifting of such vehicles based on lift axle capabilities. The present disclosure may be applicable to heavy vehicles such as trucks, buses, and construction equipment, among other vehicle types. Although the present disclosure may be described with respect to a particular vehicle, the present disclosure is not limited to any particular vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Some heavy vehicles or vehicle combinations are equipped with one or more so-called lifting axles, ie axles which can be raised or lowered from or to the ground, preferably during travel, in order to change the distribution ratio of the vehicle's total weight between the vehicle's other axles.

[0003] During a transport mission, a vehicle or vehicle combination (such as a tractor-trailer combination, etc.) may have different requirements on how the load / weight of the vehicle is distributed between the various axles. Depending on a variety of factors, such as road conditions, current load distribution, road topography, lane / road width, speed profile, friction between the ground and the tires, tire characteristics, etc., the requirements of the vehicle along different sections of the road may be different. Although the driver can at least influence the load distribution by changing the lifting axle configuration, when and how to change it may be a challenging task for the driver, for example, it may distract the driver from more critical tasks (such as keeping the vehicle on the road and / or avoiding collisions). Specifically, there may also be prescribed axle load limits on the maximum force / weight allowed to be applied on all or part of the axles of the vehicle. If these limits are not met, not only may undesirable damage to the road be caused, the driver may also be fined for not meeting the limit requirements. Since the prescribed axle load regulations are usually local and may change quickly, this may cause additional stress to the driver.

[0004] Existing solutions have attempted, at least to some extent, to automatically raise / lower the lift axle to assist the driver. The present disclosure seeks to further develop such contemporary solutions to mitigate one or more of their disadvantages. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to improve existing automated axle lift management solutions, the present disclosure provides a computer system for controlling one or more lift axles of a heavy vehicle or combination of vehicles, a corresponding method, a vehicle or combination of vehicles comprising the computer system, and a computer program product and a storage medium as defined in the accompanying independent claims. Various alternatives of the computer system, method, vehicle or combination of vehicles, computer program product and storage medium are defined by the accompanying dependent claims.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a computer system for controlling one or more lifting axles of a heavy vehicle or vehicle combination is provided. The computer system includes a processing circuit, and the processing circuit is configured to: obtain capacity data indicating the lifting axle capacity of each of the one or more lifting axles, wherein the capacity data at least indicates the horizontal change rate limit of each of the one or more lifting axles; obtain road data related to the road section along which the vehicle or vehicle combination will travel; determine the desired lifting axle configuration of the road section based on the obtained road data, and control the lowering or raising of each of the one or more lifting axles based on the obtained capacity data to achieve the desired lifting axle configuration at the road section. The first aspect of the present disclosure can seek to automatically raise and / or lower the lifting axle to assist the driver and, for example, reduce the stress of the driver. A technical benefit may include that by achieving such automation based on the rate capacity of the lifting axle, the system can be better prepared, such as determining when to start lowering / raising a specific lifting axle to achieve the desired axle load configuration at the road section. This is in contrast to, for example, an automated system which does not take rate capacity into account, which may not be able to fully achieve the desired lift axle configuration at the start of a segment if, for example, the vehicle is heavily loaded and / or one or more of the lift axles is faulty or has reduced capacity.

[0007] Optionally, in some examples of the computer system (including in at least one preferred example), the processing circuitry may be further configured to locate data indicating the current position of the computer system (and thereby the current position of the vehicle or vehicle combination in which the computer system is located). The position data may be used, for example, to decide which road data to obtain next, which parts of the broader road data are relevant to an upcoming road segment, and / or to control the actual lowering or raising of one or more lift axles. For example, in combination with data indicating, for example, a planned route for the vehicle, the processing circuitry may use the position data to determine the next upcoming road segment and request the correct road data for this. Similarly, the processing circuitry may use the position data to determine, for example, when to start lowering or raising one or more lift axles based on a level change rate capability obtained as part of the capability data, so as to obtain a desired lift axle configuration at the road segment, and so on.

[0008] Optionally, in some examples of the computer system (including in at least one preferred example), the processing circuit system can be further configured to determine the desired lifting axle configuration based on at least one of the following: a desired reduction in overall tire wear; a desired improvement in energy efficiency, and a desired improvement in drivability of the vehicle or vehicle combination. A technical benefit can include utilizing the obtained lifting axle rate capability to improve the probability of achieving such goals.

[0009] Optionally, in some examples of the computer system (including at least one preferred example), the road data may indicate one or more specified axle load limits at the road section, and the processing circuit may be further configured to determine the desired lifting axle configuration based on such limits. A technical benefit may include: the rate capability of using the lifting axle may help to increase the probability of meeting the axle load limit on time, such as before the vehicle enters an area where the load distribution between the axles needs to be changed. In addition, in some examples, meeting the axle load limit can be combined with any of the above expectations and, for example, provide higher efficiency, better fuel economy, reduced tire wear, better drivability, etc., while still meeting the axle load limit.

[0010] Optionally, in some examples of the computer system (including in at least one preferred example), controlling the lowering or raising of each of the one or more lift axles may include using a level change rate limit to determine when to start lowering or raising each of the one or more lift axles to achieve a desired lift axle configuration before or at the start of the road segment. As discussed previously herein, technical benefits may include reducing the risk of causing unwanted damage to the road itself, reducing the risk of being fined for not complying with (local) axle load limits, etc., because the rate aspect allows the computer system to calculate not only how to start changing the axle load configuration, but also when to start changing the axle load configuration so as to achieve the desired axle load configuration on time.

[0011] Optionally, in some examples of the computer system (including in at least one preferred example), the processing circuitry may be further configured to both obtain the capability data and control the lowering or raising of each of the one or more lift axles via the same lift axle control / capability reporting interface. One technical benefit may include reducing the need to communicate with multiple other entities, as both control commands and capability data may thus be sent to / from a single entity. Additional technical benefits may include, for example, making the computer system more agnostic / unaware of the specific type of lift axle being used in a vehicle, as the interface may be configured to receive the same type of control commands and output the same type of capability data regardless of the specific lift axle being used by the vehicle.

[0012] Optionally, in some examples of the computer system (including in at least one preferred example), the processing circuit may be further configured to control the lowering or raising of each of the one or more lifting axes by sending control commands to the interface, the control commands being selected from at least one of: i) a set of desired forces to be applied by / at the lifting axis and limits on the extent to which the lifting axis should be raised or lowered, and ii) a set of desired levels to which the lifting axis should be raised or lowered and limits on the forces to be applied by / at the lifting axis for this purpose.

[0013] Optionally, in some examples of the computer system (including in at least one preferred example), the road data may indicate actual or predicted weather conditions along the road segment, and the processing circuit may be further configured to determine the desired lifting axle configuration based also on such weather conditions. The road data may, for example, include information about road and / or ambient temperature, road surface (icy, snowy, muddy, slippery, dry, etc.), whether it is raining and how much it is raining, wind speed and direction, risk of tire slippage, split-friction coefficient conditions, etc. A technical benefit may include that the computer system may use such weather data, for example, to calculate what specific lifting axle configuration is needed to meet one or more of the expectations / goals mentioned above in this document.

[0014] Optionally, in some examples of the computer system (including in at least one preferred example), the processing circuit may be further configured to obtain road data by communicating with one or more sensors of the vehicle or vehicle combination. Such sensors may include, for example, sensors for obtaining weather conditions, cameras for detecting road conditions, reading signs (which may, for example, indicate local axle load restrictions, road slopes, road surface problems, speed limits, etc.), etc. A technical benefit may include that using more data may allow the computer system to, for example, better predict one or more variables required to determine a desired lifting axle configuration.

[0015] Optionally, in some examples of the computer system (including in at least one preferred example), the processing circuit may be further configured to obtain road data by communicating with one or more remote sensors, one or more other vehicles or vehicle combinations that have traveled along the road segment, and / or cloud-based services. For example, a technical benefit may include: by communicating with a vehicle that has (recently) traveled along the road segment, information obtained by the vehicle about, for example, weather conditions, road surface type, road conditions, road topography, axle load limitations, etc., can also be used by the vehicle or vehicle combination in which the computer system is located, thereby further improving the chances of finding and using a more optimized lifting axle configuration.

[0016] Optionally, in some examples of the computer system (including in at least one preferred example), the capability data may further indicate at least horizontal limitations and / or force limitations of each of the one or more lift axes, and the processing circuitry may be further configured to use such horizontal limitations and / or force limitations as part of determining a desired lift axis configuration and / or controlling the lowering and / or raising of each of the one or more lift axes.

[0017] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a heavy vehicle or vehicle combination is provided. The vehicle or vehicle combination includes one or more lifting axles and a computer system for automatically controlling the one or more lifting axles. The computer system may, for example, be a computer system described with reference to the first aspect or any example thereof. A second aspect of the present disclosure may seek to provide a vehicle or vehicle combination that can help the driver decide when / how to lower or raise each of the vehicle's lifting axles, having the technical benefits described herein with reference to the computer system of the first aspect.

[0018] Optionally, in some examples (including in at least one preferred example) of a vehicle or vehicle combination, the vehicle or vehicle combination may include a lift axle control / capability reporting interface (eg, "interface").

[0019] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-implemented method for controlling one or more lift axles of a heavy vehicle or a combination of vehicles is provided. The method is performed by a processing circuit of a computer system (such as the computer system of the first aspect or any example thereof). The method includes obtaining capability data indicating the lift axle capability of each of the one or more lift axles, wherein the capability data at least indicates a horizontal rate of change limit of each of the one or more lift axles; obtaining road data related to a road section along which the vehicle or the combination of vehicles will travel; determining the desired lift axle configuration of the road section based on the obtained road data, and controlling the lowering or raising of each of the one or more lift axles based on the obtained capability data to achieve the desired lift axle configuration at the road section. The method may seek to solve the same problems faced by the computer system, and thereby provide similar technical benefits.

[0020] Generally, in this context, determining a desired lift axis configuration may of course be based on the obtained capability data, so that, for example, a desired lift axis configuration that is currently or soon to be obtained by the lift axis is not generated. For example, the capability data may indicate that one or more lift axes are currently malfunctioning or operating at reduced capability, which may affect the way in which the lift axes are controlled and / or the way in which the desired lift axis configuration is determined.

[0021] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product comprising program code (i.e., computer-readable instructions) is provided, which, when executed by a processing circuit of a computer system (such as the computer system of the first aspect or any example thereof), is used to execute the method of the third aspect or any example thereof.

[0022] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions (such as computer program codes), which, when executed by a processing circuit of a computer system (such as the computer system of the first aspect or any example thereof), causes the processing circuit to perform the method of the third aspect or any example thereof. The storage medium may be, for example, non-transitory or transient.

[0023] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the disclosed aspects, examples (including any preferred examples), and / or the accompanying claims may be appropriately combined with each other. Additional features and advantages are disclosed in the following description, claims, and drawings, and will in part be apparent to those skilled in the art, or recognized by practicing the disclosure as described herein.

[0024] Also disclosed herein are various control units, code modules, etc. associated with the technical benefits discussed above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Examples will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] Figure 1 An exemplary heavy vehicle or vehicle combination according to the present disclosure is schematically illustrated.

[0027] Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C Various exemplary computer systems according to the present disclosure are schematically illustrated.

[0028] Figure 3 A flow chart of an exemplary method according to the present disclosure is schematically shown.

[0029] Figure 4 An exemplary computer program product and a computer-readable storage medium according to the present disclosure are schematically illustrated.

[0030] Figure 5 An exemplary computer system for implementing the examples disclosed herein according to an example is schematically illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The detailed description set forth below provides information and examples of the disclosed technology in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure.

[0032] Figure 1An exemplary vehicle 110 or vehicle combination 100 according to an example of the present disclosure is schematically shown. The vehicle combination 100 includes a vehicle 110 and a trailer 112 connected to the vehicle 110. The vehicle 110 may be referred to as a tractor or the like in this combination. In other conceived examples, the vehicle 110 may alternatively be a so-called tractor or tractor unit, which is configured to tow a semi-trailer (i.e., a trailer without any front axle) via a fifth wheel connection, for example. In other conceived examples, the vehicle 110 may be some other type of heavy vehicle, such as a bus, a dump truck, or any other type of heavy machinery. In some conceived examples, the vehicle 110 may operate on its own without connecting any trailer. In yet other conceived examples, the vehicle 110 may be responsible for towing more than one trailer, in which case one or more additional trailers may be connected to the trailer 112.

[0033] In this example, vehicle 110 has four axles, including a steerable front axle 120 and three rear axles 120b, 120c, and 120d. In this particular example, center rear axle 120c is a drive axle, while axle 120b is a propulsion axle, and axle 120d is a trailing axle. Of course, other configurations are possible, such as only one or two rear axles, or more than three rear axles. Trailer 112 has a plurality of axles, such as a plurality of axles, a plurality of axles, and a plurality of axles. Figure 1 1 and may have one or more rear axles (not shown) depending on the desired trailer configuration. Drive axle 120c may be powered by one or more electric machines, an internal combustion engine (ICE), etc. It is also contemplated that one or more of axles 120b and 120d may also be configured to provide propulsion of vehicle 110, in which case they would no longer be referred to as propeller or tag axles.

[0034] Specifically, shaft 120b and shaft 120d are so-called lift shafts that can be individually raised or lowered depending on the desired lift shaft configuration. Figure 1In the figure, the dotted boxes 130a and 130b are intended to include all components that form part of the machinery required to raise or lower the corresponding axle 120b and axle 120d. Hereinafter, when referring to a lifting axle, unless otherwise specified, the actual axle (such as 120b and 120d) to which the wheels are connected, or the combination of the axle and other components (such as 130a and 130b) will be referred to as a "lifting axle". Such lifting axles may also be referred to as, for example, pneumatic lifting axles, telescopic axles, drop axles, etc., and of course may also be provided on the trailer 112 or any other trailer towed by the vehicle 110. The lifting axle 120v and the lifting axle 120d can be lowered to increase the load-bearing capacity of the vehicle 110, or to distribute the weight of the cargo carried by the vehicle 110 to more wheels, such as when driving over a bridge with a weight limit, or in order to comply with one or more other specified axle load limits. Additional support behind the drive axle 120c may also be needed, for example, during unloading of cargo, including, for example (if the vehicle 110 is a dump truck) during dumping of material, in which case most of the cargo weight is at least temporarily transferred to the rear of the vehicle 110. For example, if the vehicle 110 or vehicle combination 100 is fully loaded, the tag axle 120d can be lowered to bear some of the weight of the tag axle 120c. Indirectly, the lowering or raising of the tag axle 120d can also affect the weight applied to, for example, the front axle 120a. For example, lowering the tag axle 120d can transfer more weight to the front axle 120a, while raising the tag axle 120d can reduce the weight on the front axle 120a. The propeller axle 120b can, for example, be lowered to increase the stability of the chassis of the vehicle 110, for example during cornering.

[0035] When not in use, one or both of the shafts 120b and 120d can be raised so that they partially or completely leave the ground where the vehicle 110 is traveling / staying. The reason for deciding to raise one or both of the shafts 120b and 120d may, for example, include improving efficiency (so as to save fuel, for example) by reducing the total friction between all wheels and the ground and thereby reducing the total rolling resistance, reducing the total wear of the tires of the vehicle 110, and / or, for example, increasing the traction of the wheels that remain in contact with the ground. Raising / lifting the shaft can also help reduce the so-called lateral (tire) friction during sharp turns, thereby improving the drivability and turning ability of the vehicle. In some cases, it may also be necessary to raise the shaft to enable the vehicle 110 to complete the turn. In summary, so far, the reasons for raising or lowering the particle lifting shafts of the vehicle 110 or vehicle combination 100 may be various, and the driver of the vehicle 110 or vehicle combination 100 may be difficult to know exactly how, why and when to lower or raise each lifting shaft.

[0036] The specific operation mode of the lifting shaft (such as shaft 120b and shaft 120d) contemplated herein may be different due to the vehicle 110 and its configuration. The lifting shaft can be operated by a mechanical device, such as a screw or similar equipment that can move the lifting shaft up and down. The lifting shaft can also or alternatively use a fluid pressurized by a compressor, a control valve and a fluid-driven actuator (such as an air spring / airbag / bellows, a piston, etc.) to pneumatically, hydraulically, hydraulically-pneumatically or in a similar manner to cause the movement of the lifting shaft and thus its rise / lowering. Other lifting shafts may be partially or entirely electrically operated. All lifting shafts of the vehicle do not have to be operated based on the same principle, and in some contemplated examples, lifting shafts such as hydraulic and pneumatic operations can be combined in the same vehicle, etc. For the purpose of the present disclosure, the exact configuration and operating principle of each lifting shaft is not important, as long as each lifting shaft can be controlled in some way so that it is raised or lowered according to the command.

[0037] As will now also be referred to e.g. FIG. 2A to FIG. 2C In more detail, the envisaged vehicle 110 includes a computer system 200 configured to control the lift axles 130a and 130b (or any other lift axles, such as any lift axles provided as part of the trailer 112, etc.) in an automated manner and based in particular on (ahead) road data and the level change rate capabilities of the lift axles 130a and 130b. Such capabilities may, for example (but not necessarily), be received by the computer system 200 from an interface 140 between the computer system 200 and the respective lift axles 130a and 130b (or any other lift axles).

[0038] In the following and generally herein, the terms "vehicle" and "vehicle combination" may be used interchangeably, if not indicated to the contrary, as it is contemplated that, for example, a trailer towed by the vehicle 110 may also include one or more lifting axles to be controlled. Of course, it is contemplated that any examples provided herein may apply only to one or more lifting axles in one or more trailers, and that only the lowering / raising of these axles may be automatically controlled if desired.

[0039] Figure 2AAn exemplary computer system 200 according to an example of the present disclosure is schematically shown. The computer system 200 includes a processing circuit 210 configured to obtain capability data 132 indicating the capability of each of the one or more lift axes (herein referred to using the number 130) of a vehicle or vehicle combination (such as 110 or 100) in which the computer system 200 is disposed. The capability data at least indicates a level change rate limit for each of the one or more lift axes 130. As used herein, a "level change rate limit" refers to the speed at which the lift axis can be raised or lowered, and can be interpreted, for example, in units of length / time, such as, for example, millimeters per second, centimeters per second, inches per second, etc., or in any number indicating such a length / time amount. Alternatively, a "level change rate limit" can instead indicate the speed at which a certain amount of force applied by the lift axis can change over time, and can be interpreted, for example, in units of Newtons per second, etc. In addition, the capability data can also enable one or more other capabilities of each of the lift axes to be indicated. Examples may include the maximum and minimum values ​​(in, e.g., Newtons) that can currently be generated by the lift axis, the maximum and minimum amounts of lowering / raising that can currently be achieved by the lift axis, etc. In addition to such capability data, the computer system 200 may also, for example, receive information about the current state of each lift axis, such as the forces currently being experienced / generated by the lift axis, the degree to which the lift axis is currently being raised / lowered, and the like.

[0040] As contemplated herein, a failure or other reduction in capability of a lift axis may be indicated to the computer system 200 by, for example, a level change rate limit. For example, a completely inoperative lift axis may indicate that it is currently capable of providing zero length changes per time, e.g., 0 mm / s, etc. Similarly, a lift axis that is still operational but not at its design capability, due to, for example, a partial failure of the lift axis, may report a limited but lower value for its level change rate limit. A zero or lower level change rate limit may also be provided, not only due to (a partial failure), but also due to, for example, the current load / weight of the vehicle 110 or vehicle combination 100 exceeding the current lift / lift capability of the lift axis, etc.

[0041] In some cases, the same mechanism used to lower or raise the lift axle may also be used to provide suspension for the lift axle when in contact with the ground. For example, the same air springs used to lower / raise a pneumatically operated lift axle may be used as suspension springs for the lift axle. In this case, it is contemplated that the capacity data including the indicated level change rate limits may therefore also provide the capacity of the vehicle suspension system. Additionally, the "level change rate limits" may be provided on a per wheel or per vehicle side basis, and the corresponding per axle capacity may be calculated accordingly.

[0042] The processing circuit 210 (and thus the computer system 200) is further configured to obtain road data 220 related to a road segment 222 along which the vehicle or vehicle combination will travel. Such road data may include, for example, terrain data, slope / gradient data, road surface condition data, data about local / national regulations (e.g., maximum permissible axle weights), weather data, and the like. The processing circuit 210 may, for example, have access to the planned route of the vehicle, and at least the estimated current position of the vehicle. The position may be obtained, for example, using, for example, inertial navigation, a navigation satellite data receiver compatible with, for example, GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, etc., visual information about the surrounding environment obtained by one or more cameras, lidars, radars, etc., or any other data or combination of data that allows the vehicle's position to be estimated. Another example may include, for example, assuming that the vehicle is traveling along the planned route, and simply using a continuous indication of the vehicle's speed and time to estimate where the vehicle is currently located on the planned route.

[0043] The processing circuit 210 is further configured to use the acquired road data in order to determine the desired lifting axle configuration for the road section that the vehicle will travel next / soon. In this context, "to be traveled" may also include, for example, a road section that the vehicle is already traveling on, if, for example, for some reason, one or more lifting axles have not yet been configured as required for the current road section.

[0044] As used herein, a "desired lift axle configuration" defines a target state for each lift axle, i.e., whether the lift axle should be lowered or raised, and the likelihood of how much each lift axle should be lowered or raised. For example, one example of such a configuration may indicate that one lift axle should be fully raised, another lift axle should be fully lowered, and / or another axle should be partially lowered so that it does not carry as much weight load, or such combination of any desired states for each of the one or more lift axles 130. Another example of such a configuration may be, for example, binary, and only indicate whether the axle should be fully lowered or fully raised, etc. How to find / determine the desired lift axle configuration may depend, for example, on a specific task or goal, such as improving efficiency at a road section, improving drivability at a road section, reducing tire wear at a road section, and / or complying with local or national axle load restrictions at a road section, etc. Some goals may not be specific to the road section that the vehicle is about to travel on, but may be generally applicable to all road sections. For example, one goal may be to always drive as efficiently as possible (e.g., in terms of fuel and / or energy consumption), to reduce tire wear as much as possible, to drive as safely as possible (or as dynamically stable as possible, as agile as possible, etc.), as long as one or more other potentially conflicting goals are not determined to be more important (e.g., goals governed by local, national, or even international regulations), etc. Thus, a desired lift axle configuration may be obtained based on one or more trade-offs between potentially conflicting goals, and the particular road segment on which the vehicle will be driven may alter or introduce new such potentially conflicting goals.

[0045] As an example, the goal may be to drive as efficiently as possible, which may be achieved, for example, by raising one or more lift axles to reduce the total rolling resistance. As another example, the goal may be to reduce the total tire wear, which may also be achieved, for example, by raising one or more lift axles so that not all tires of the vehicle are used at the same time and thereby wear out, or because, for example, the trailing axle is farther from the end of the vehicle and its tire wear may be greater than that of the other axles. As another example, the goal may be to improve the drivability of the vehicle in situations such as tight turns, which may also be achieved, for example, by raising one or more lift axles, in particular axles that are subject to lateral (tire) scraping (lateral runout), etc., and because, for example, a vehicle with more (non-steerable) axles on the ground is generally more difficult to turn than a vehicle with fewer axles on the ground. As another example, the goal may be to improve the safety of vehicle operation, thereby avoiding or reducing the risk of losing control of the vehicle's steering on slippery roads due to tire slippage, to better cope with roads where the friction coefficient between the tire and the ground is different for different wheels (so-called split road conditions), etc. In some cases, this can be achieved by lowering one or more lifting axles to increase the stability of the vehicle, while in other cases, raising one or more lifting axles can distribute more weight between other axles, thereby increasing their traction. In general, such safety-based goals can lead to a specific desired lifting axle configuration to produce a desired weight distribution between the axles of the vehicle. As another example, the goal may be not to exceed relevant axle load limits, such as limits on some bridges and / or roads whose design load capacity is not as good as that of highways. Such a goal can be achieved, for example, by lowering one or more lifting axles to reduce the weight load on each axle and staying within the limit. As another example, the goal may be not to exceed the physical limitations of the vehicle, such as the limit of how much weight can be placed on a specific axle before there is a significant risk that the axle will fail sooner or later. This goal, in relation to the way the vehicle and its components are designed, can be achieved, for example, by lowering one or more lifting axles to reduce the weight load on each axle, or at least reducing the weight load on some axles that need to be reduced in order not to exceed their physical limits. Here, "physical limits" may be defined by the manufacturer and provided as one or more upper limits below which the manufacturer considers operation to be safe, or the like.

[0046] In general, it can be seen that there may be multiple goals (or "desires"), and at least some of these goals may be conflicting goals, as it is not possible to raise and lower the lift axle at the same time. How the goals are prioritized may be hard-coded / wired, for example, in the computer system and processing circuitry, or provided as one or more user-configurable parameters. For example, a driver, transportation planner, or the like (such as a vehicle owner) may decide that one or more goals (if possible) should take precedence over all other goals. In other examples, multiple goals may be ranked from highest priority to lowest priority, and the processing circuitry 210 may be configured to find the desired lift axle configuration based on this prioritization of multiple goals in combination with the obtained road data.

[0047] For example, it is contemplated that, for example, a series of potentially conflicting goals may be presented to the driver, and the driver may select which goal should have the highest priority. It is also contemplated that some goals, such as those related to local or national regulations, physical limitations and / or vehicle operation safety, should always have the highest priority and should not be deprioritized by the driver, etc. However, in some cases, it may be possible to at least temporarily deprioritize such a goal, for example, to temporarily allow an axle load to exceed a limit in order to obtain sufficient traction to start or stop on a slippery road surface, such as when starting on an icy slope, etc. It may also be that two or more goals that cannot be deprioritized in other ways are conflicting, such as the need to exceed the maximum allowed combined load on a pair of axles (such as a bogie) so as not to exceed the physical (or manufacturer-recommended) limits of each individual axle. Also here, how to prioritize these conflicting goals can be given in a hard-coded / wired manner in the computer system 200 and the processing circuit 210, or provided as one or more user-configurable variables.

[0048] The processing circuit 210 is further configured to control the lowering or raising of each of the one or more lift axles 130 based on the obtained capability data so as to achieve a desired lift axle configuration on the road section 222 (e.g., found by prioritizing multiple potentially conflicting objectives). In particular, this is beneficial because being able to understand the level change rate limit of one or more lift axles 130 allows the computer system 200 and the processing circuit 210 to more efficiently and more surely reach the desired lift axle configuration on the road section 222. For example, a contemporary controller that does not have access to such capability data may decide, for example, to raise a particular lift axle as quickly as possible in order to ensure that the lift axle is raised once the vehicle reaches the beginning of the road section. However, raising a particular lift axle as quickly as possible may place greater strain on the lift axle and, for example, consume more energy than, for example, raising the lift axle more slowly. By accessing and utilizing capability data, the computer system 200 and the processing circuit 210 contemplated herein may determine whether there is enough time to raise the lift axle more slowly while still ensuring that the desired lift axle configuration is reached at the beginning of the road section 222, thereby more effectively controlling the lift axle in terms of energy consumption and component wear. In addition, access to the capacity data may also inform the computer system 200 and the processing circuit 210 of a potential (partial) failure of one or more lift axes 130 or a capacity that may exceed or exceed a lower limit, and thus the desired lift axis configuration may be determined accordingly, so that the desired lift axis configuration is actually achievable. For example, if it is noted that one lift axis 130 is operating at a reduced capacity (for some reason), then, for example, in the case of starting to control the raising or lowering of the lift axis earlier, it may be determined that the previous lift axis configuration that did not take into account the reduced capacity can still be achieved.

[0049] Figure 2B An exemplary computer system 200 according to another example of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated. Figure 2B The computer system 200 shown has at least Figure 2A The computer system 200 shown has the same functionality but is used to illustrate further contemplated details of such a computer system.

[0050] Here, the computer system 200 is configured to communicate with, for example, a cloud-based service 240 using a wireless connection 242. The computer system 200 may also or alternatively be configured to communicate with an external storage device 230 using a wired connection 232. In other envisaged examples, the memory 230 may form part of the computer system 200 itself and thus be an internal storage device such as a hard drive or the like. The computer system 200 may be configured to obtain the road data 220 from the cloud-based service 240 and / or from the storage device 230. If desired, wireless communication may be performed by the computer system 200 configured to communicate via one or more radio devices 250 (such as a transceiver or at least one receiver) (e.g., by sending / receiving data to / from the radio device 250 via the connection 252). For example, the wireless communication 242 may be implemented using the radio device 250. If the storage device 230 is internal to the computer device 200, or is placed somewhere within the vehicle, for example, so that it can still be accessed via the wired connection 232, if the road data 220 is stored in the storage device 230, then wireless communication may not be required to obtain the road data 220. In other contemplated examples, the storage device may not be part of the computer system 200 or the vehicle, but can be accessed via the wired connection 232 when the vehicle is, for example, parked. For example, the vehicle can be plugged into a terminal while parked to obtain the data (including the road data 220) required for the next transportation task or similar tasks. The storage device 230 can show both external storage devices and internal storage devices, i.e., different storage units that the computer system 200 can communicate with. For example, the computer system 200 may include a memory such as RAM or a non-transitory memory such as a hard drive, and the computer system 200 can use such a memory to locally store the received road data 220.

[0051] By "obtaining" road data 220, it is also contemplated that the vehicle and computer system 200 may be responsible for at least partially creating the road data 220 itself, for example based on information received from one or more sensors. Such sensors may include one or more internal sensors 260 of the computer system 200 and / or the vehicle, and one or more external sensors 264 with which the vehicle and computer system 200 may communicate using, for example, a wireless connection established via a radio 250 or the like. Such sensors may, for example, include at least one of a temperature sensor 226, a humidity sensor, a wind speed sensor, a road surface condition sensor, a camera, a radar, a lidar, etc., which may collect data related to the road segment that the vehicle will next travel. The camera may, for example, be an external road camera configured to capture images from which current road conditions may be determined, such as whether the road is snow-covered, slippery, muddy, etc. The camera may, for example, be an internal camera of the vehicle, and may, for example, be capable of capturing images of the road and surrounding environment to help determine current road conditions. Such an internal camera may also or alternatively be configured, for example, to capture images of road signs 225 , thereby providing (e.g., to computer system 200 ) information that can be used to derive, for example, various axle load limits, road grade / slope, etc., as well as other information that is typically displayed to the driver using such road signs 225 .

[0052] In some examples, the computer system 200 and the processing circuit 210 may be configured to receive at least a portion of the data required to compile the road data from one or more other vehicles 228 that have previously traveled along the road segment that the vehicle is about to travel. Such other vehicles 228 may, for example, have collected various data using one or more of their own sensors, and such data may then be transmitted to the vehicle and the computer system 200 and the processing circuit 210 and used to generate (at least part of) the road data. To this end, if available, the radio device 250 may be used to communicate directly with one or more vehicles 228, or one or more vehicles 228 may upload data to, for example, a cloud-based service 240, from which the data may then be downloaded using a wireless connection 242, or, for example, uploaded to an (external) storage device 230 that has a wired connection 232 to the computer system 200 at least at some point in time.

[0053] In some examples, road data 220 may include weather data 227, which may be obtained based on, for example, predictions made by a weather service, various sensor measurements performed by the vehicle and computer system 200 itself, or both. Using weather data 227 as part of road data 220 may be beneficial because it allows for the determination of information such as road surface conditions, wind speed, temperature (and thereby, for example, more accurate friction estimates), etc., which may help, for example, to prioritize different goals and determine the desired lift axle configuration required to meet one or more specific goals. For example, a goal of improving or maintaining a high degree of safety in vehicle operation may require knowledge of current weather conditions for the road segment. In some examples, combining or replacing predicted weather data with weather data obtained locally in the vehicle using one or more sensors (such as sensor 260, and possibly one or more remote sensors 264) may increase the chances of accurately predicting / describing actual weather conditions, as predicted weather data may not always be reliable, as weather is sometimes too complex to be accurately predicted using various weather models. For example, if the desired lift axle configuration is initially determined based solely on predicted weather data, measurements taken near or even at the road segment may reveal differences between actual weather conditions and predicted weather conditions, and the desired lift axle configuration may then be updated accordingly and / or control of one or more lift axles may be performed in a different manner to achieve the desired lift axle configuration.

[0054] Another benefit of using weather data is that it can be taken into account that some axle load limits may depend on the season. For example, some roads may have an axle load limit, but in the winter, the limit becomes less stringent due to ground frost, etc. Therefore, knowing the surrounding weather can help determine the desired lifting axle configuration for the vehicle.

[0055] The road data 220 may also include map and / or terrain data 224, including, for example, data indicating the curvature of the road, the inclination of the road, the slope / gradient of the road, the material of the road, the location of bridges, etc., of different sections of road that the vehicle is expected to travel. The computer system 200 may also, for example, combine such data with the (estimated) content about the current position of the vehicle described earlier herein, in order to determine, for example, how far the vehicle is currently from a particular section of road of interest, and use, for example, the expected speed profile of the vehicle to determine when the vehicle arrives at a particular section of road. By combining such data with the capability data 132, the computer system 200 and the processing circuit 210 may therefore calculate, for example, when control of the raising / lowering of the lifting axle 130 should be started, how fast each lifting axle 130 should be raised / lowered, etc., and have the benefits described herein. The map and / or terrain data 224 may also include, for example, an indication of one or more geographical areas where there are specified axle load restrictions and the actual restrictions of these areas, such as whether there are specific maximum allowable loads on each axle, whether there are specific maximum allowable combined loads on the vehicle truck axis, etc. In other contemplated examples, such data regarding prescribed axle load limits may be provided separately from the map and / or terrain data 224. As mentioned previously herein, such information may be obtained, for example, using a camera that reads road signs containing such information.

[0056] like Figure 2B As shown, another optional feature of the computer system 200 is that the computer system 200 and the processing circuit 210 may be further configured to receive a signal from, for example, a switch 270 to indicate whether the automated raising / lowering of the lifting axle 130 should be enabled. This may be beneficial, for example, in situations where it is desirable to obtain as much traction as possible (e.g., when starting and / or stopping on a slippery surface, possibly on a slope / incline), but this violates one or more higher priority goals (e.g., complying with axle load limit requirements, etc.). The user may then (at least) temporarily disable the automated functionality provided by the computer system 200 by flicking the switch 270, and then reactivate the automated functionality, for example, after the problem (e.g., the need for increased traction) has been resolved. The switch 270 may be a mechanical switch, but may of course be implemented in other ways, such as a virtual switch on a touch screen as part of a user interface, a voice-controlled switch, etc. The same or similar touch screen or other driver user interface may also be used, for example, to manually prioritize the different goals contemplated herein.

[0057] exist Figure 2B In the example shown, the computer system 200 and processing circuit 210 are configured to communicate directly with one or more lifting axes 130 (by exchanging control data / instructions) via a connection 134 (which may be wired or wireless). Figure 2BAlthough not explicitly shown, capability data 132 may also be obtained by computer system 200 and processing circuitry 210 directly from one or more lift axes 130 (eg, via connection 134 or via a separate, not shown, connection for this purpose).

[0058] Figure 2C An exemplary computer system 200 according to another example of the present disclosure is schematically shown. Here, the computer system 200 is again similar to Figure 2A and Figure 2B , except that the computer system 200 and the processing circuit 210 do not communicate directly with the one or more lifting axes 130 to obtain the capability data and control the lowering / raising of the lifting axes 130. Instead, in this example, an interface 140 is provided, which may be referred to as a "lifting axis control / capability reporting interface", etc. The interface 140 may be standardized so that the control commands received by the interface and the capability data output by the interface are the same, regardless of the exact configuration / type of the one or more lifting axes 130. This may provide a more flexible technical benefit because, for example, lifting axes may be added and / or replaced without having to reprogram the computer system 200, etc., and therefore the computer system 200 may become less aware / unaware of the specific configuration of the one or more lifting axes 130.

[0059] For example, interface 140 may be configured to receive one or more different control commands from computer system 200. A first such contemplated control command may include a request that, for example, a lift axle (or wheel side of a lift axle) apply a certain force without exceeding a certain position level (i.e., position). For example, a lift axle (or wheel side) may be commanded to Apply the requested force in the z- / vertical direction without exceeding a specific z level (or not leaving a specific z-level interval). For example, the lifting axis can thus be commanded to be raised / lowered at a specific speed without exceeding a specific z-level, wherein the speed will depend on the requested force and the current load of the vehicle. A second such envisaged control command may include a control in the z direction A specific z level can be reached without exceeding a specific force For example, it can thus be commanded that a lift axis should be raised / lowered to a requested z-level as quickly as possible without exceeding a certain z-force limit.

[0060] As another example, the interface 140 may be configured to provide one or more different capabilities (i.e., limits) for each lift axis 130. A first such contemplated limit may be a maximum rate / speed at which the lift axis 130 may currently be raised / lowered, e.g., a rate ,in - The symbol indicates "varies over time". A second such imaginary limit may be the minimum rate / speed at which the lifting shaft 130 can currently be raised / lowered Of course, in some envisaged examples, the minimum and maximum limits for lowering and raising may be different, so that the interface may provide, for example, and Such first and second limits may form the level change rate limits contemplated herein. A third such contemplated limit may be the minimum z level to which the lift axis may be lowered , and a fourth such envisaged limitation could be the maximum z level to which the lifting axis can be raised The minimum change in force per unit time of the lifting axis , and the sixth envisaged limit could be the maximum change in force per unit time If the rate of force reduction is different from the rate of increase, the interface 140 may alternatively provide and A seventh envisioned limitation could be the minimum force that the lift axis can exert in the z direction , and an eighth envisioned limitation could be the maximum force that the lift axis can exert in the z direction Using one or more other such contemplated limits in addition to limits corresponding to level change rate limits may further improve the functionality of computer system 200 and allow, for example, determination of a more refined desired lift axis configuration, e.g. taking into account both the height to which each lift axis can currently be raised / lowered and the speed at which the lift axis can currently be lowered / raised.

[0061] In addition to control commands and capabilities, interface 140 may also optionally be configured to output the current state of each lift axis. For example, one such state may be the force currently being applied on the z-axis. , and another such state could be the current z level of the lift axis .

[0062] As described earlier in this article, the capabilities of each lift axis include at least various rate limits (in Indications such as "minimum", "maximum", "minimum, raised", "minimum, lowered", "maximum, raised" and / or "maximum, lowered"). In addition to these limits, the capability data may optionally include one or more of the other limits described above (such as any combination thereof), and may also be supplemented by the state of each lift axis as described above.

[0063] like Figure 2CAs shown, the interface 140 may thus allow both the computer system 200 and the processing circuit 210 to send commands to and access the capabilities of one or more lift axes 130 using the same interface 140 via, for example, a single connection 132 , 134 .

[0064] Figure 3 A flow chart of an exemplary method 300 for controlling one or more lift axles of a heavy vehicle or combination of vehicles according to examples of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated.

[0065] In operation S310, capability data indicating a lift axle capability of each of the one or more lift axles is obtained. In operation S312, road data related to a road section along which the vehicle or vehicle combination is to travel is obtained. In operation S314, a desired lift axle configuration for the road section is determined based on the obtained road data. In operation S316, lowering or raising of each of the one or more lift axles is controlled based on the obtained capability data to achieve the determined desired lift axle configuration at the road section.

[0066] Figure 4 Schematically illustrated are an exemplary computer program 420 and a computer program product 410 according to examples of the present disclosure, and an exemplary (non-transitory) computer-readable storage medium 430. On the medium 430, a computer program 420 may be stored that may cause the processing circuit 210 of the computer system 200 as contemplated herein, and entities and devices operatively coupled thereto (such as communication interfaces and storage media) to perform the execution method 300 according to the examples described herein. The computer program 420 and / or the computer program product 410 may thus provide means for performing any steps of the method 300, for example, as performed by the computer system 200 and the processing circuit 210 disclosed herein.

[0067] exist Figure 4 In the example of , computer program product 410 is shown as an optical disc, such as a CD (compact disc) or a DVD (digital versatile disc) or a Blu-ray disc. Computer program product 410 may also be embodied as a memory, such as a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and more specifically as a non-volatile storage medium in an external memory of a device, such as a USB (universal serial bus) memory or a flash memory, such as a compact flash memory. Thus, although computer program 420 is schematically shown here as a track on the depicted optical disc, computer program 420 may be stored in any manner suitable for computer program product 410.

[0068] Figure 5An exemplary schematic diagram of a computer system 500 for implementing the examples disclosed herein is schematically shown, for example, with reference to Figure 1 , Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C The computer system 200 described herein. The computer system 500 is suitable for executing instructions from a computer-readable medium to perform these and / or any functions or processes described herein. The computer system 500 can be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines in a LAN (local area network), a LIN (local interconnect network), an automotive network communication protocol (e.g., FlexRay), an intranet, an extranet, or the Internet. Although only a single device is shown, the computer system 500 may include any device collection that executes an instruction set (or multiple instruction sets) individually or jointly to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein. Therefore, any reference to a computer system, a computing system, a computer device, a computing device, a control system, a control unit, an electronic control unit (ECU), a processor device, a processing circuit, etc. in the present disclosure and / or claims includes a reference to one or more such devices to execute an instruction set (or multiple instruction sets) individually or jointly to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein. For example, the control system may include a single control unit or multiple control units connected to each other or otherwise communicatively coupled, so that any executed function can be distributed between the control units as needed. Furthermore, such devices may communicate with each other or other devices through various system architectures, such as directly or via a controller area network (CAN) bus, etc.

[0069] Computer system 500 may include at least one computing device or electronic device that can include firmware, hardware and / or execute software instructions to implement the functionality described herein. Computer system 200 may include processing circuitry 502 (e.g., a processing circuit that includes one or more processor devices or control units), memory 504, and system bus 506. Computer system 500 may include at least one computing device with processing circuitry 502. System bus 506 provides interfaces for system components including, but not limited to, memory 504 and processing circuitry 502. Processing circuitry 502 may include any number of hardware components for performing data or signal processing or for executing computer code stored in memory 504. Processing circuitry 502 may include, for example, a general-purpose processor, a special-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a circuit containing a processing component, a group of distributed processing components, a group of distributed computers configured for processing, or other programmable logic devices designed to perform the functions described herein, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof. Processing circuitry 502 may also include computer executable code that controls the operation of a programmable device.

[0070] The system bus 506 can be any of several types of bus structures, which can be further interconnected to a memory bus (with or without a memory controller), a peripheral bus, and / or a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. The memory 504 can be one or more devices for storing data and / or computer code to complete or facilitate the methods described herein. The memory 504 may include a database component, an object code component, a script component, or any type of information structure for supporting various activities herein. Any distributed or local memory device can be utilized with the systems and methods of the present specification. The memory 504 can be communicatively connected to the processing circuit 502 (e.g., via a circuit or any other wired, wireless, or network connection) and may include computer code for performing one or more processes described herein. The memory 504 may include nonvolatile memory 508 (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), etc.) and volatile memory 510 (e.g., random access memory (RAM)), or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer or other machine having the processing circuit 502. A basic input / output system (BIOS) 512 may be stored in the nonvolatile memory 508 and may include the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the computer system 500.

[0071] The computer system 500 may also include or be coupled to non-transitory computer-readable storage media such as storage device 514, which may include, for example, an internal or external hard disk drive (HDD) (e.g., enhanced integrated drive electronics (EIDE) or serial advanced technology attachment (SATA)), a HDD for storage (e.g., EIDE or SATA), flash memory, etc. The storage device 514 and other drives associated with computer-readable and computer-usable media may provide non-volatile storage of data, data structures, computer-executable instructions, etc.

[0072] The hard-coded or soft-coded computer code may be provided in the form of one or more modules. The modules may be implemented as software and / or hard-coded in the circuit to implement the functionality described herein in whole or in part. These modules may be stored in a storage device 514 and / or a volatile memory 510 that may include an operating system 516 and / or one or more program modules 518. All or part of the examples disclosed herein may be implemented as a computer program 520 stored on a temporary or non-temporary computer-usable or computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a single medium or multiple media) such as a storage device 514, the computer program including complex programming instructions (e.g., complex computer-readable program code) that cause the processing circuit 502 to perform the actions described herein. Therefore, the computer-readable program code of the computer program 520 may include software instructions for implementing the functionality of the examples described herein when executed by the processing circuit 502. In some examples, storage device 514 may be a computer program product (e.g., a readable storage medium) having computer program 520 stored thereon, wherein at least a portion of computer program 520 may be loadable (e.g., loaded into a processor) for implementing the functionality of the examples described herein when executed by processing circuit 502. Processing circuit 502 may serve as a controller or control system for computer system 500 to implement the functionality described herein.

[0073] The computer system 500 may include an input device interface 522 configured to receive input and selections to be transmitted to the computer system 500 when executing instructions, such as from a keyboard, mouse, touch-sensitive surface, etc. Such input devices can be connected to the processing circuit 502 through an input device interface 522 coupled to the system bus 506, but can be connected through other interfaces (such as a parallel port, an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1394 serial port, a universal serial bus (USB) port, an IR interface, etc.). The computer system 500 may include an output device interface 524, which is configured to forward output to a display, a video display unit (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer system 500 may include a communication interface 526 suitable for communicating with a network as appropriate or required.

[0074] The operational actions described in any of the exemplary aspects of this article are described to provide examples and discussions. These actions can be performed by hardware components, can be embodied in machine executable instructions so that a processor performs these actions, or can be performed by a combination of hardware and software. Although a specific order of method actions can be shown or described, the order of actions can be different. In addition, two or more operations can be performed simultaneously or partially simultaneously.

[0075] The following is a non-exhaustive list of examples envisioned in this article:

[0076] Embodiment 1: A computer system for controlling one or more lifting axles of a heavy vehicle or a combination of vehicles, wherein the computer system includes a processing circuit, and the processing circuit is configured to: - obtain capability data indicating the lifting axle capability of each of the one or more lifting axles, wherein the capability data at least indicates a horizontal change rate limit of each of the one or more lifting axles; - obtain road data related to a road section along which the vehicle or the combination of vehicles will travel; - determine a desired lifting axle configuration for the road section based on the obtained road data, and control the lowering or raising of each of the one or more lifting axles based on the obtained capability data to achieve the desired lifting axle configuration at the road section.

[0077] Embodiment 2: A computer system as described in Embodiment 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine the desired lifting axle configuration based on at least one of the following: - desired reduction in overall tire wear; - desired improvement in energy efficiency, and - desired improvement in the drivability of the vehicle or vehicle combination.

[0078] Embodiment 3: The computer system of Embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the road data indicates one or more specified axle load constraints at the road segment, and wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine the desired lift axle configuration based on such constraints.

[0079] Embodiment 4: A computer system as described in any of Embodiments 1 to 3, wherein controlling the lowering or raising of each of the one or more lifting axes includes using the horizontal change rate limit to determine when to start lowering or raising each of the one or more lifting axes to achieve the desired lifting axis configuration before the start of the road segment or at the start of the road segment.

[0080] Embodiment 5: A computer system as described in any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to both obtain the capability data and control the lowering or raising of each of the one or more lift axes via the same lift axis control / capability reporting interface.

[0081] Embodiment 6: A computer system as described in Embodiment 5, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to control the raising or lowering of each of the one or more lifting axes by sending a control command to the interface, the control command being selected from at least one of the following: i) a set of desired forces to be applied by / at the lifting axis and limitations on the extent to which the lifting axis should be raised or lowered, and ii) a set of desired levels to which the lifting axis should be raised or lowered and limitations on the forces to be applied by / at the lifting axis for this purpose.

[0082] Embodiment 7: A computer system as described in any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the road data indicates actual or predicted weather conditions along the road segment, and wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine the desired lifting axle configuration also based on the weather conditions.

[0083] Embodiment 8: The computer system as described in any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to obtain the road data by communicating with one or more sensors of the vehicle or combination of vehicles.

[0084] Embodiment 9: A computer system as described in any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to obtain the road data by communicating with one or more remote sensors, one or more other vehicles or vehicle combinations that have traveled along the road segment, and / or a cloud-based service.

[0085] Embodiment 10: A computer system as described in any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the capability data further indicates at least a horizontal limitation and / or a force limitation of each of the one or more lifting axes, and wherein the processing circuit is further configured to use such horizontal limitations and / or force limitations as part of determining the desired lifting axis configuration and / or controlling the lowering and / or raising of each of the one or more lifting axes.

[0086] Embodiment 11: A heavy vehicle or a combination of vehicles, comprising: one or more lifting axles, and a computer system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 10.

[0087] Embodiment 12: The vehicle or vehicle combination as described in Embodiment 11 further includes a lifting axle control / capability reporting interface.

[0088] Embodiment 13: A computer-implemented method for controlling one or more lift axles of a heavy vehicle or a combination of vehicles, wherein the method is executed by a processing circuit of a computer system, wherein the method comprises: - obtaining capability data indicating the lift axle capability of each of the one or more lift axles, wherein the capability data at least indicates a horizontal rate of change limit of each of the one or more lift axles; - obtaining road data related to a road section along which the vehicle or the combination of vehicles will travel; - determining a desired lift axle configuration for the road section based on the obtained road data, and controlling the lowering or raising of each of the one or more lift axles based on the obtained capability data to achieve the desired lift axle configuration at the road section.

[0089] Embodiment 14: A computer program product comprising program code for executing the method as described in embodiment 13 when executed by a processing circuit of a computer system.

[0090] Embodiment 15: A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by a processing circuit of a computer system, causes the processing circuit to perform the method as described in Embodiment 13.

[0091] The terms used herein are only used for the purpose of describing specific aspects and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It should also be understood that the terms "include" and / or "comprise" when used herein indicate the presence of stated features, integers, actions, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, actions, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or their groups.

[0092] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element.

[0093] Relative terms such as "below" or "above" or "upper" or "lower" or "horizontal" or "vertical" may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element to another element, as shown in the figures. It should be understood that these terms and those discussed above are intended to cover different device orientations in addition to the orientations depicted in the figures. It should be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, the element may be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or there may be intervening elements. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, there are no intervening elements.

[0094] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. It should also be understood that, unless otherwise clearly defined herein, the terms used herein should be interpreted as meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of this specification and the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense.

[0095] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the aspects described above and shown in the accompanying drawings; rather, the skilled person will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims. In the drawings and description, various aspects have been disclosed for illustrative purposes only and not for limiting purposes, and the scope of the disclosure is set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A computer system (200) for controlling one or more lifting axles (130, 130a, 130b) of a heavy vehicle (112) or a vehicle combination (110), wherein the computer system comprises a processing circuit (210) configured to: - obtaining capability data (132) indicative of a lift axis capability of each of the one or more lift axes, wherein the capability data indicates at least a level change rate limit of each of the one or more lift axes; - obtaining road data (220) relating to a road segment (222) along which the vehicle or combination of vehicles is to travel; - determining a desired lifting axle configuration for the road section based on the acquired road data, and - controlling the lowering or raising of each of the one or more lift axles based on the obtained capacity data to achieve the desired lift axle configuration at the road section.

2. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine the desired lift axis configuration based on at least one of: - Desirable reduction in overall tire wear; - Desire to improve energy efficiency, and - It is desirable to improve the drivability of the vehicle or combination of vehicles.

3. A computer system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the road data indicates one or more prescribed axle load limitations (225) at the road segment, and wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine the desired lifting axle configuration based on such limitations.

4. The computer system of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein controlling the lowering or raising of each of the one or more lift axes comprises using the level change rate limit to determine when to begin lowering or raising each of the one or more lift axes to achieve the desired lift axis configuration before or at the start of the route segment.

5. A computer system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to both obtain the capacity data and control the lowering or raising of each of the one or more lift axes via the same lift axis control / capability reporting interface (140).

6. A computer system as described in claim 5, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to control the raising or lowering of each of the one or more lifting axes by sending control commands to the interface, the control commands being selected from at least one of the following: i) a set of desired forces to be applied by / at the lifting axis and limits on the extent to which the lifting axis should be raised or lowered, and ii) a set of desired levels to which the lifting axis should be raised or lowered and limits on the forces to be applied by / at the lifting axis for this purpose.

7. A computer system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the road data indicates actual or predicted weather conditions (224, 225) along the road segment, and wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine the desired lifting axle configuration also based on the weather conditions.

8. A computer system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to obtain the road data by communicating with one or more sensors (160) of the vehicle or combination of vehicles.

9. A computer system as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to obtain the road data by communicating with one or more remote sensors (262), one or more other vehicles or vehicle combinations (226) that have traveled along the road segment, and / or a cloud-based service (240).

10. A computer system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the capability data further indicates at least a horizontal limit and / or a force limit for each of the one or more lift axes, and wherein the processing circuit is further configured to use such horizontal limit and / or force limit as part of determining the desired lift axis configuration and / or controlling the lowering and / or raising of each of the one or more lift axes.

11. A heavy vehicle (112) or a vehicle combination (110), comprising: - one or more lifting axes (130, 130a, 130b), and - A computer system (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. The vehicle or vehicle combination of claim 11, further comprising a lift axle control / capability reporting interface (140).

13. A computer-implemented method (300) for controlling one or more lifting axles (130, 130a, 130b) of a heavy vehicle (112) or vehicle combination (110), wherein the method is performed by a processing circuit (210) of a computer system (200), wherein the method comprises: - obtaining (S310) capability data (132) indicating a lift axis capability of each of the one or more lift axes, wherein the capability data indicates at least a horizontal change rate limit of each of the one or more lift axes; - obtaining (S312) road data (220) related to a road section (222) along which the vehicle or vehicle combination is to travel; - determining (S314) a desired lifting axle configuration for the road section based on the acquired road data, and - controlling ( S316 ) the lowering or raising of each of the one or more lift axles based on the obtained capacity data to achieve the desired lift axle configuration at the road section.

14. A computer program product (410) comprising program code (420) for performing the method of claim 13 when executed by a processing circuit (210) of a computer system (200).

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (430) comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing circuit (210) of a computer system (200), cause the processing circuit to perform the method of claim 13.

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