Method and system for monitoring performance degradation of vehicle spring damper assembly

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of vehicles, in particular to a method for monitoring performance degradation of spring shock absorber assemblies of a vehicle, the vehicle comprises a plurality of spring shock absorber assemblies, and the method comprises the steps that during the driving period of the vehicle, the spring stroke of each spring shock absorber assembly is detected; comparing the detected spring stroke of the spring shock absorber assembly with a corresponding threshold value; and if the spring travel exceeds the respective threshold, pushing a prompt to a user regarding a performance degradation of a respective spring shock absorber assembly wherein a comparison of the spring travel of the spring shock absorber assembly to the respective threshold is modified based on a road characteristic associated with a driving position of the vehicle. Through some embodiments of the invention, corresponding performance degradation monitoring can be provided independently and accurately in time for each of a plurality of spring shock absorber assemblies of the vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of vehicles, and more particularly to a method and system for monitoring the performance degradation of a spring shock absorber assembly of a vehicle, and a corresponding vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Spring shock absorber assemblies are crucial for the driving comfort of vehicles, capable of buffering road impacts, reducing vehicle body vibrations, and enhancing driving smoothness. If the performance of a spring shock absorber assembly deteriorates, it will have a direct negative impact on driving comfort and even pose a threat to driving safety. Currently, there are technical solutions for monitoring the performance degradation of vehicle spring shock absorber assemblies, such as determining whether the performance of a spring shock absorber assembly has deteriorated by detecting changes in the vehicle suspension height during vehicle travel. However, there is still room for further improvement in terms of detection accuracy and refinement. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and system for monitoring the performance degradation of a spring shock absorber assembly of a vehicle, which can provide more accurate and refined detection.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for monitoring the performance degradation of a spring shock absorber assembly of a vehicle, the vehicle including a plurality of spring shock absorber assemblies, the method comprising: during the travel of the vehicle, respectively detecting the spring strokes of the respective spring shock absorber assemblies; comparing the detected spring strokes of the spring shock absorber assemblies with corresponding thresholds; and in the case where the spring stroke exceeds the corresponding threshold, pushing a prompt regarding the performance degradation of the corresponding spring shock absorber assembly to the user, wherein, based on road characteristics associated with the travel position of the vehicle, the comparison of the spring stroke of the spring shock absorber assembly with the corresponding threshold is corrected.

[0005] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, correcting the comparison includes: determining corresponding thresholds for the spring strokes of the respective spring shock absorber assemblies based on road characteristics associated with the travel position of the vehicle.

[0006] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, correcting the comparison includes: determining corresponding thresholds for the spring strokes of the respective spring shock absorber assemblies based on weather information and / or road surface condition information when the vehicle is traveling.

[0007] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises: obtaining a planned travel route of the vehicle, and obtaining road characteristics associated with the travel position of the vehicle according to the planned travel route.

[0008] According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: using the spring travel of each detected spring shock absorber assembly, and based on the driving position, updating the road characteristics of the planned driving route.

[0009] According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: obtaining weather information and / or road surface condition information when the vehicle is driving along the planned driving route, using the spring travel of each detected spring shock absorber assembly, and based on the driving position, updating the road characteristics of the planned driving route in association with the weather information and / or road surface condition information.

[0010] According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: constructing a relationship model between the spring travel of each spring shock absorber assembly and the road characteristics associated with the driving position of the vehicle; and determining, according to the relationship model, a threshold value of the corresponding spring travel for each spring shock absorber assembly.

[0011] Preferably, the relationship model is constructed using a convolutional neural network and trained using the modal spectrum data corresponding to the spring travel in the frequency domain.

[0012] According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: identifying the change pattern of the spring travel of each spring shock absorber assembly over time, and based on the change pattern, determining the trend or state of performance deterioration of the spring shock absorber assembly.

[0013] According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: respectively determining corresponding threshold values of the spring travel of each spring shock absorber assembly based on at least one of the load, tire pressure, and suspension height of the vehicle.

[0014] According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: collecting the user's feedback on the pushed prompt, and updating the threshold value or the judgment on whether the spring travel exceeds the threshold value.

[0015] According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the road characteristics include at least one of the following characteristics: road surface roughness, road surface type, road surface damage degree, road surface slipperiness, road surface construction condition, road surface debris accumulation condition, road surface settlement degree, and road surface joint size.

[0016] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for monitoring the performance deterioration of a spring shock absorber assembly of a vehicle, the vehicle including a plurality of spring shock absorber assemblies, the system including: a plurality of sensors, each sensor being respectively configured to detect the spring travel of one of the plurality of spring shock absorber assemblies; and a controller configured to be capable of executing any method according to the present invention.

[0017] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle including the system according to the present invention.

[0018] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program product including program instructions that, when running in at least one control unit, are capable of executing any of the methods according to the present invention.

[0019] Through certain embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to provide corresponding performance degradation monitoring for each spring shock absorber assembly of the vehicle in a timely and accurate manner, thereby achieving refined monitoring.

[0020] It should be noted that the advantages and beneficial effects of the present invention are not limited to the advantages and beneficial effects mentioned above. Those skilled in the art can understand other unmentioned advantages and beneficial effects of the present invention through the following specific embodiments and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail by referring to the drawings, and the principles, features, and advantages of the present invention can be better understood. In the drawings,

[0022] Figure 1 a flowchart of a method for monitoring performance degradation of a spring shock absorber assembly of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0023] Figure 2 a structural diagram of a system for monitoring performance degradation of a spring shock absorber assembly of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown; and

[0024] Figure 3 a schematic diagram of the layout structure of a spring shock absorber assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0025] In order to make the technical problems to be solved, technical solutions, and beneficial technical effects of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings and exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the principles of the present invention, rather than to limit the protection scope of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 1 A method 100 for monitoring performance degradation of a spring shock absorber assembly of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown, Figure 2 a system 200 for monitoring performance degradation of a spring shock absorber assembly of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown, Figure 3 a schematic diagram of the layout structure of a spring shock absorber assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown. Hereinafter, in conjunction with Figures 1 to 3A detailed description of embodiments of the present invention will be given.

[0027] A method 100 for monitoring performance degradation of a spring shock absorber assembly of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0028] Step S1: During the running of the vehicle, respectively detect the spring stroke of each spring shock absorber assembly among a plurality of spring shock absorber assemblies of the vehicle;

[0029] Step S2: Compare the detected spring stroke of the spring shock absorber assembly with a corresponding threshold value; and

[0030] Step S3: When the spring stroke exceeds the corresponding threshold value, push a prompt regarding performance degradation of the corresponding spring shock absorber assembly to the user.

[0031] For example, as Figure 3 shown, a vehicle may have four wheels 10, 20, 30, and 40, and spring shock absorber assemblies 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively provided for each wheel. That is, the vehicle includes four spring shock absorber assemblies 1, 2, 3, and 4. These spring shock absorber assemblies are all connected to the suspension / chassis 5 of the vehicle. When the vehicle is running, the spring, relying on its own elastic characteristics, effectively absorbs the energy generated by road surface impacts through compression and extension, reducing the intensity of the excitation received by the vehicle body. At the same time, the shock absorber regulates the spring's rebound process, dissipates vibration energy using a damping mechanism, suppresses the vibration amplitude and frequency of the vehicle body, and helps to improve the ride comfort of the vehicle. As the service time extends, the spring shock absorber assembly will show performance degradation related to the service time (i.e., the length of time in use). It is very beneficial to automatically detect such service-time-related performance degradation through the system.

[0032] Generally, in the prior art, a height sensor is used to measure the height fluctuation of the suspension / chassis 5 relative to the road surface, and thereby determine whether the performance of the spring shock absorber assembly has deteriorated. However, determining whether the spring shock absorber assembly has performance degradation based on the measurement result of the suspension / chassis can only achieve indirect inference or evaluation because there is always an unavoidable transmission / conversion path between the two. In addition, the height fluctuation of the suspension / chassis 5 relative to the road surface is an overall quantity reflecting the four spring shock absorber assemblies 1, 2, 3, and 4 as a whole, and such an overall quantity is difficult to further reflect the performance degradation situation or whether there is performance degradation of a single spring shock absorber assembly among the four spring shock absorber assemblies. In actual situations, the various spring shock absorber assemblies of the vehicle may have different service times, or may have different performance degradation laws or curves or trends due to structural defects / structural differences. This makes it difficult to accurately determine the performance degradation of a single spring shock absorber assembly among the four spring shock absorber assemblies through the existing technical solutions.

[0033] Therefore, according to the present invention, it is proposed to respectively detect the spring travel of each spring shock absorber assembly during the running of the vehicle, compare the detected spring travel of the spring shock absorber assembly with a corresponding threshold value, and in the case where the spring travel exceeds the corresponding threshold value, push a prompt regarding the performance deterioration of the corresponding spring shock absorber assembly to the user. This means that each spring shock absorber assembly can have the same or different spring travel threshold values from each other. For each spring shock absorber assembly, spring travel detection, comparison with the corresponding threshold value, and performance deterioration judgment are respectively and individually performed. At the same time, when it is determined that a certain spring shock absorber assembly has or will have serious or unacceptable performance deterioration, a prompt can be pushed to the user, enabling the user to directly understand and lock the target spring shock absorber assembly, so as to choose whether to replace it according to the situation. For example, the prompt can be displayed on the instrument panel and / or the central display of the vehicle, and the feedback of the user on the prompt, such as a decision on whether to repair, can also be additionally collected. Other possible prompt pushing methods can also be conceived, such as through the user's mobile device or voice prompt, etc.

[0034] Here, in particular, the comparison between the spring travel of the spring shock absorber assembly and the corresponding threshold value can be corrected based on the road characteristics associated with the running position of the vehicle. During the running of the vehicle, the spring travel of the spring shock absorber assembly is affected by the road characteristics of the running position of the vehicle, and each spring shock absorber assembly may generate different spring travels in response to a certain road characteristic. For example, the spring travel of one or more spring shock absorber assemblies is relatively large, but it does not necessarily exceed the threshold value corresponding to the performance deterioration of the corresponding assembly. Therefore, when judging whether the spring shock absorber assembly has performance deterioration based on the spring travel, considering the road characteristics is beneficial to improving the judgment accuracy of the performance deterioration of one or more spring shock absorber assemblies. Here, the road characteristics can particularly refer to road characteristics that can cause at least partial vertical movement of the vehicle body or suspension.

[0035] Preferably, in some embodiments, correcting the comparison may include: determining corresponding thresholds for the spring travel of each spring shock absorber assembly based on road characteristics associated with the driving position of the vehicle. Generally, when performing a comparison between the detected value of the spring travel and the threshold for a single spring shock absorber, the spring travel threshold of this spring shock absorber is often provided to the model or algorithm as a fixed value, because it is usually considered to be closely related to the physical properties of the spring itself (such as material characteristics, structural parameters, etc.). In contrast, according to the present invention, it is proposed to determine the spring travel threshold for each spring shock absorber assembly based on road characteristics, that is, to regard this threshold as a processed non-fixed value and utilize it in the comparison. The rationality and beneficial effects of this solution are as follows: During driving, road characteristics (such as road surface conditions) will affect the working environment and force conditions of the spring shock absorber assembly. For example, on a flat road surface, the travel range of the spring during normal operation is relatively small, while on a rough road surface, the spring needs a larger travel to buffer and dampen vibrations in order to adapt to the road surface undulations. Therefore, adjusting the threshold according to different road characteristics actually takes into account the reasonable travel range of the spring under different working environments, and can essentially be understood as a dynamic adjustment of the spring travel range when the component is operating normally. Therefore, the threshold that can be adjusted according to road characteristics represents the upper limit of the reasonable range of the spring travel under the current road characteristics, and based on this, the accuracy and reliability of the judgment of the performance degradation of the spring shock absorber assembly can be improved. For example, when driving on a bumpy mountain road, increasing the spring travel threshold can avoid false judgments caused by the detected value of the spring travel briefly exceeding the original fixed threshold due to road surface impacts (in fact, the spring shock absorber assembly may not have experienced performance degradation at this time), which makes the judgment of whether the spring has experienced performance degradation more in line with the actual situation. Compared with correcting the measured value of the spring travel, correcting the spring travel threshold can especially reduce the complex processing process of the measured data.

[0036] Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, modifying the comparison may include: determining corresponding thresholds for the spring travel of each spring damper assembly based on weather information and / or road surface condition information when the vehicle is traveling. Here, the weather information and / or road surface condition information when the vehicle is traveling may be weather information and / or road surface condition information obtained during the vehicle's travel, or may be weather information and / or road surface condition information at the predicted travel position before the vehicle reaches a certain travel position. The road surface condition information may be particularly associated with the weather information. For example, on rainy days or snowy days, there may be conditions such as water accumulation, icing, and snow accumulation on the road surface. These conditions may cause changes in the vehicle's body posture, suspension height, and the friction between the tires and the ground. Therefore, using this weather information and the road surface condition information associated with the weather information to adjust and determine the corresponding thresholds for the spring travel of each spring damper assembly can make the modification of the comparison more accurate. In particular, the weather information may include wind force and wind direction. For example, when there is strong wind during vehicle travel, both the wind force and wind direction will have a significant impact on the spring travel of each spring damper assembly of the vehicle.

[0037] In some alternative embodiments, the method may further include: obtaining the planned travel route of the vehicle and obtaining road features associated with the travel position of the vehicle according to the planned travel route. For example, the vehicle controller 210 (see Figure 2 ) can obtain the planned travel route from the vehicle's navigation system, for example, according to the travel start point and travel end point input by the user. Then, the road features at different travel positions or key travel positions can be obtained from the vehicle's local storage device or cloud storage device according to the planned travel route and the included location information (such as coordinates). Here, the key travel position is the travel position that can cause the vehicle to vibrate (such as a change in body posture or suspension height). That is to say, the obtained road features can be continuously changing values in the planned travel route or locally sensitive values. There are various ways to obtain the road features associated with the travel position. One is from the vehicle's collection of its own data, such as collection related to the present invention or for other purposes, and the other is from the collection of other vehicles' own data, such as collection related to the present invention or for other purposes. It may also include road features collected by other devices or apparatuses. Regardless of the purpose of collecting the road features, these road features stored in the vehicle's local storage device or cloud storage device can be used in the execution of the method according to the present invention. Therefore, according to the travel position, the road features stored in association with the position can be obtained. Obtaining the planned travel route of the vehicle and the corresponding road features can be performed during the vehicle's travel or before the travel starts.

[0038] In a specific embodiment, the vehicle may store a regular route that the user travels regularly, such as a round-trip route from home to the workplace. Since this regular route is relatively fixed and the road features therein do not change significantly most of the time, the vehicle's controller 210 can identify this regular route through the navigation system and obtain the road features of this regular route accordingly, and use these road features for the adjustment or determination of the spring stroke thresholds of each spring shock absorber assembly. This can simplify the process of obtaining road features and adjusting the spring stroke thresholds. The regular route and its road features can be stored particularly in the local memory of this vehicle, so that the data can be directly called. In this case, it is possible to allow the steps of obtaining the planned driving route of the vehicle and the corresponding road features to be executed before the vehicle starts driving (for example, the vehicle has been started but has not yet driven).

[0039] In another specific embodiment, the vehicle may travel along an irregular route. At this time, the road features of this irregular route may not be available in the vehicle's local storage device or cloud storage device. For this reason, the road features of the planned driving route of the vehicle can be obtained during the vehicle's driving, so that the road features of the planned driving route of the vehicle can be obtained in real time, especially the road features ahead of the vehicle's driving, so as to continuously perform the judgment on the performance deterioration of the spring shock absorber assembly. For example, although the road features of this irregular route are not available in the local storage device of this vehicle, other vehicles of the same model as this vehicle will upload the relevant data to the same cloud storage device, and the cloud storage device may store this relevant data and the road features of this irregular route obtained based on these relevant data. This vehicle can obtain (for example, retrieve) these road features from the cloud storage device and use them for the determination of the performance deterioration of the vehicle's spring shock absorber assembly. Alternatively, the determination of the performance deterioration of the vehicle's spring shock absorber assembly can also be performed in the vehicle's cloud platform.

[0040] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the method may further include: using the spring strokes of each detected spring shock absorber assembly, based on the driving position, to update the road features of the planned driving route. When the vehicle drives through a certain driving position, the spring strokes of each spring shock absorber assembly are detected correspondingly for this driving position. Especially when the road features change, these measured data can be used to calculate or obtain new road features, and the new road features can overwrite the original road features stored in the local storage device or cloud storage device, thereby realizing data update. These measured spring stroke data and / or the road features obtained based on these measured data can be particularly used as the training data of the convolutional neural network (CNN) relationship model mentioned below to improve the calculation accuracy of the model and ensure the timely update of the data. The update can be performed centrally after the vehicle finishes driving along the planned driving route.

[0041] Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the method may further include: obtaining weather information and / or road surface condition information when the vehicle travels along a planned driving route, and using the spring strokes of the detected respective spring shock absorber assemblies to update the road characteristics of the planned driving route based on the driving position and in association with the weather information and / or road surface condition information. In this way, the algorithm / method can be optimized multi-dimensionally by combining weather information and road surface condition information (especially road surface condition information associated with weather information), improving the accuracy of the algorithm / method.

[0042] In some alternative embodiments, the method may further include: constructing a relationship model between the spring strokes of the respective spring shock absorber assemblies and the road characteristics associated with the driving position of the vehicle; and determining, according to the relationship model, a threshold value of the corresponding spring stroke for each spring shock absorber assembly. Preferably, the relationship model is constructed using a convolutional neural network (CNN) and trained using modal spectrum data corresponding to the spring strokes in the frequency domain. In particular, with the trained CNN relationship model, the performance degradation mode of the spring shock absorber assembly can be accurately identified, that is, whether the spring shock absorber assembly is gradually degrading in performance (such as spring fatigue failure) or suddenly significantly degrading (such as spring accidental failure). For example, compared with the external excitation of the vehicle's suspension system, a spring with degraded performance will produce a larger spring stroke and maintain the large spring stroke for a longer time. Therefore, in some alternative embodiments, the method may further include: identifying the change pattern of the spring stroke of each spring shock absorber assembly over time, and based on the change pattern, determining the trend or state of the performance degradation of the spring shock absorber assembly.

[0043] For example, in a specific embodiment, a vehicle includes a plurality of spring shock absorber assemblies. Although the respective spring shock absorber assemblies have the same initial structure and performance parameters (i.e., the same specification), that is, they have substantially the same theoretical performance degradation curve or trend, there are differences in the service times of the respective spring shock absorber assemblies. For example, one of the assemblies has been replaced and has a different service time from other assemblies. In this case, according to the above CNN relationship model, the change pattern of the spring stroke of each spring shock absorber assembly over time can be identified, and based on the change pattern, it can be determined at which position or interval of the performance degradation curve or trend each corresponding spring shock absorber assembly is, and the remaining time and / or remaining mileage of the corresponding performance degradation (especially gradually degrading in performance due to fatigue) can be predicted. This can be beneficial for vehicle users to know in advance the possibility of performance degradation of the spring shock absorber assembly, so as to replace it in advance to ensure driving smoothness and safety.

[0044] In some alternative embodiments, the method may further include: respectively determining corresponding thresholds of the spring travel of each of the spring shock absorber assemblies based on at least one of the load, tire pressure, and suspension height of the vehicle.

[0045] For example, in one embodiment, the expected body posture of the vehicle can be determined based on the driving position of the vehicle and its road characteristics; and the corresponding thresholds of the spring travel of each of the spring shock absorber assemblies can be respectively determined or predicted based on the load, tire pressure, and / or structural dimensions of the vehicle, and then the measured value of the spring travel detected by the sensor is compared with its corresponding threshold, and based on this, it is determined whether the performance of this spring shock absorber assembly deteriorates. This can complete the calibration of the spring travel threshold in advance, which is particularly beneficial for the regular route travel of the vehicle.

[0046] Also for example, at the start of each trip of the vehicle, after the user or occupant is seated, parameters such as the load of the vehicle (obtained by means of a weight sensor, for example) and the tire pressure (obtained by means of a tire pressure sensor, for example) are determined, and these parameters can be used subsequently to determine the corresponding thresholds of the spring travel of each of the spring shock absorber assemblies. Additionally, during vehicle travel, when it is necessary to determine the deterioration of the performance of the spring shock absorber assembly (for example, when the detected spring travel is large), parameters such as the load and tire pressure of the vehicle can be detected. Here, the load of the vehicle particularly includes the distribution of the load, for example, related to the body weight and seating position of the occupants in the vehicle cockpit. The load or total mass of the vehicle can also be obtained based on factors such as the change in suspension travel caused by the entry of occupants into the cockpit before vehicle travel and the current tire pressure. In addition, during vehicle travel, the tire pressure is likely to change, so it is beneficial to detect the tire pressure of the vehicle when it is necessary to determine the deterioration of the performance of the spring shock absorber assembly (for example, when the detected spring travel is large), which can balance the simplification of the algorithm and the accuracy of the determination.

[0047] In addition, in some embodiments, the driving habits of the user can also be considered in the CNN relationship model to be used for correcting the comparison between the spring travel of the spring shock absorber assembly and the corresponding threshold. This can be associated with the identity information of the user. The identity of the user can be recognized in any known manner in the art.

[0048] In some alternative embodiments, the method may further include: collecting the feedback of the user on the pushed prompt, and updating the threshold or the judgment on whether the spring travel exceeds the threshold. Thereby, the accuracy of the comparison between the spring travel of the spring shock absorber assembly and the corresponding threshold can be further improved, and thus the accuracy of the determination of the deterioration of the performance of the spring shock absorber assembly can be improved.

[0049] Therefore, according to certain embodiments of the present invention, the corresponding thresholds of the spring travel of each spring shock absorber assembly can be corrected, adjusted, calibrated or determined in multiple dimensions by using factors such as road features, weather information and / or road condition information, vehicle load, tire pressure and suspension height associated with the driving position of the vehicle, with the help of, for example, a CNN relationship model. This enables each of the multiple spring shock absorber assemblies of the vehicle to be individually detected and threshold calibrated, thereby correcting the comparison of the spring travel of the spring shock absorber assembly with the corresponding threshold in a more accurate manner, and improving the accuracy of judging the performance degradation of the spring shock absorber assembly of the vehicle. At the same time, in the method according to the present invention, there is no need to use other vehicle sensors (such as image sensors, etc.) to assist, thereby achieving dual simplification in algorithm and vehicle structure.

[0050] In addition, when considering the performance degradation of the spring shock absorber assembly, there are many factors that may affect the detection of the spring travel, which makes the judgment of the performance degradation very complicated. According to certain embodiments of the present invention, the measured values ​​of the spring travel of each spring shock absorber assembly of the vehicle can be used to train and optimize the relationship model between the spring travel of each spring shock absorber assembly of the vehicle and the road characteristics associated with the driving position of the vehicle. On the one hand, the model is used to calibrate the spring travel threshold of each spring shock absorber assembly, and on the other hand, the spring travel measured value and the obtained road characteristics are combined to optimize the relationship model to improve the calculation accuracy. Additionally, based on these measured values ​​of the spring travel, the model can also be used to infer the road characteristics of the corresponding driving position, so that these results can be used for other technical purposes or other vehicles that perform the method according to the present invention. In addition, it is conceivable that the road characteristics can be implicit using the relationship model, that is, the spring travel thresholds of each spring shock absorber assembly stored in the vehicle can be obtained using the coordinates of the driving position of the vehicle.

[0051] In this article, preferably, the road characteristics may include at least one of the following characteristics: road surface roughness, road surface type (such as highway or country road, etc.), road surface damage, road surface slipperiness, road surface construction conditions (such as gravel), road surface debris accumulation conditions, road surface settlement degree, road surface joint size (such as height difference or seam width). For example, when cracks, looseness or potholes appear on the road surface, these damages will damage the flatness of the road surface, and the vehicle will produce bumps and vibrations when driving, and the various spring shock absorber components of the vehicle will have different spring travels. For another example, the road section under construction may have uncompacted road surface, temporarily laid uneven materials, construction equipment and material stacking occupying the road surface, etc.; some roads may also have partial or overall settlement due to changes in geological conditions, changes in groundwater levels, etc.

[0052] like Figure 2As shown, a system 200 for monitoring the performance degradation of a vehicle's spring shock absorber assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention may include: a plurality of sensors 201, 202, 203, and 204, each sensor being respectively configured to detect the spring travel of one of a plurality of spring shock absorber assemblies 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the vehicle; and a controller 210 configured to be capable of executing any one of the methods for monitoring the performance degradation of a vehicle spring shock absorber assembly according to the present invention. Here, the number of sensors and spring shock absorber assemblies in the system 200 is not limited to four respectively, and the two can correspond one by one and be respectively more than four or less than four. The sensors may be respectively disposed on four suspension struts and may be configured to record the time variation process of the spring travel of the corresponding spring shock absorber assembly.

[0053] The operations of the various components of the system 200 have been described above in connection with the embodiments of the method 100. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here. It is worth noting that the advantages described above with respect to the method 100 will also apply to the system 200.

[0054] The present invention also relates to a vehicle including the above-described system 200.

[0055] The present invention also relates to a computer program product including program instructions that, when running in at least one control unit, are capable of executing any one of the methods for monitoring the performance degradation of a vehicle spring shock absorber assembly according to the present invention.

[0056] Here, the computer program product may be a computer-readable medium or stored in a computer-readable medium. In the context of the present invention, the term "computer-readable storage medium" may include, but is not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), static random access memory (SRAM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), or other optical disc memory, magnetic disk memory, tape memory, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store data and is readable by a computer.

[0057] Subject to no contradiction, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0058] Although specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail herein, they are given for purposes of explanation only and should not be considered as limiting the scope of the present invention. Various substitutions, alterations and modifications can be conceived without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring the performance degradation of the spring shock absorber assemblies of a vehicle, the vehicle including a plurality of spring shock absorber assemblies, the method comprising: During the running of the vehicle, respectively detecting the spring strokes of the respective spring shock absorber assemblies; Comparing the detected spring strokes of the spring shock absorber assemblies with corresponding thresholds; And In the case where the spring stroke exceeds the corresponding threshold, pushing a prompt regarding the performance degradation of the corresponding spring shock absorber assembly to the user, wherein, based on the road characteristics associated with the driving position of the vehicle, the comparison of the spring stroke of the spring shock absorber assembly with the corresponding threshold is corrected.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein Correcting the comparison includes: Based on the road characteristics associated with the driving position of the vehicle, determining the corresponding thresholds of the spring strokes of the respective spring shock absorber assemblies; and / or Based on the weather information and / or road surface condition information when the vehicle is running, determining the corresponding thresholds of the spring strokes of the respective spring shock absorber assemblies.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Obtaining the planned driving route of the vehicle, and obtaining the road characteristics associated with the driving position of the vehicle according to the planned driving route.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein The method further includes: Using the detected spring strokes of the respective spring shock absorber assemblies, updating the road characteristics of the planned driving route based on the driving position; and / or Obtaining the weather information and / or road surface condition information when the vehicle is running along the planned driving route, and using the detected spring strokes of the respective spring shock absorber assemblies to update the road characteristics of the planned driving route in association with the weather information and / or road surface condition information based on the driving position.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Constructing a relationship model between the spring strokes of the respective spring shock absorber assemblies and the road characteristics associated with the driving position of the vehicle; and According to the relationship model, respectively determining the thresholds of the corresponding spring strokes for each spring shock absorber assembly, Preferably, the relationship model is constructed using a convolutional neural network and trained using the modal spectrum data corresponding to the spring stroke in the frequency domain.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein The method further includes: Identifying the change patterns of the spring strokes of the respective spring shock absorber assemblies over time, and based on the change patterns, determining the trend or state of the performance degradation of the spring shock absorber assemblies.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The method further includes: Based on at least one of the load, tire pressure, and suspension height of the vehicle, respectively determining the corresponding thresholds of the spring strokes of the respective spring shock absorber assemblies; and / or Collecting the feedback of the user on the pushed prompt, and updating the threshold or the judgment on whether the spring stroke exceeds the threshold.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein The road characteristics include at least one of the following characteristics: road surface roughness, road surface type, road surface damage degree, road surface slipperiness, road surface construction condition, road surface debris accumulation condition, road surface settlement degree, road surface joint size.

9. A system for monitoring the performance degradation of the spring shock absorber assemblies of a vehicle, the vehicle including a plurality of spring shock absorber assemblies, the system comprising: A plurality of sensors, each sensor respectively for detecting the spring stroke of one of the plurality of spring shock absorber assemblies; and A controller configured to be able to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-8.

10. A vehicle comprising the system according to claim 9.

11. A computer program product comprising program instructions that, when running in at least one control unit, are able to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-8.

Images