Wheel fixing part looseness detection method and device and vehicle

Abstract

The invention discloses a wheel fixing part looseness detection method and device and a vehicle. The wheel fixing part is used for fixing a wheel to an axle. The method comprises the steps that a vehicle steering system related signal is obtained; determining a frequency spectrum of the acquired vehicle steering system related signal; it is determined whether there is a loose wheel fixture based at least on a comparison of the spectrum of the vehicle steering system-related signal with a spectrum of a reference vehicle steering system-related signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of vehicles, and more specifically, to a method and equipment for detecting loose wheel fasteners, and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Wheel fasteners are used to secure the wheels to the axle. For example, wheel bolts connect the wheel to the bearing hub and brake disc, thus securing the wheel to the axle. If the wheel fasteners become loose, the wheel will vibrate during driving; consequently, the vehicle may lose control, which is extremely dangerous. Currently, physical devices such as teardrop-shaped devices are commonly used to detect whether a vehicle's wheel fasteners are loose. Specifically, after the wheel bolts are tightened, a teardrop-shaped device is placed on each wheel bolt, with the teardrop oriented uniformly. When a wheel bolt becomes loose, the teardrop-shaped device will rotate in the direction of the loose wheel bolt, allowing visual inspection to detect the looseness of the wheel bolts.

[0003] The teardrop-shaped physical device described above for determining whether wheel fasteners are loose is generally used on large trucks. However, for other vehicles such as automobiles, there are currently no specific methods or devices for detecting whether wheel fasteners are loose. Furthermore, the teardrop-shaped physical device used to determine whether wheel fasteners are loose requires visual inspection, thus resulting in inaccurate detection and the inability to detect loose wheel fasteners in a timely manner. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Based on the above, this disclosure provides a method, equipment, and vehicle for detecting loose wheel fasteners.

[0005] In one aspect, this disclosure provides a method for detecting loose wheel fasteners, the wheel fasteners being used to secure a wheel to an axle, the method comprising: acquiring vehicle steering system related signals; determining the spectrum of the acquired vehicle steering system related signals; and determining, at least based on a comparison of the spectrum of the vehicle steering system related signals with the spectrum of a reference vehicle steering system related signal, whether a loose wheel fastener exists.

[0006] In another aspect, this disclosure provides a vehicle including a vehicle control unit (VCU) for implementing the methods described in embodiments of this disclosure.

[0007] In another aspect, this disclosure provides an apparatus for detecting loose wheel fasteners, comprising: components for performing steps of the method according to embodiments of this disclosure.

[0008] In another aspect, this disclosure provides an apparatus for detecting loose wheel fasteners, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, the processor executing the computer program to implement the steps of the method according to embodiments of this disclosure.

[0009] In another aspect, this disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method according to embodiments of this disclosure.

[0010] In another aspect, this disclosure provides a computer program product including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method according to embodiments of this disclosure.

[0011] This disclosure provides a method, apparatus, device, computer-readable storage medium, computer program product, and vehicle for detecting loose wheel fasteners. The wheel fastener loosening detection method according to embodiments of this disclosure achieves a novel function for detecting whether wheel fasteners are loose by using existing signals from sensors on the vehicle (e.g., steering input pinion torque sensor, steering input pinion angle sensor, steering motor position sensor, wheel speed sensor, and gyroscope). Using the wheel fastener loosening detection method proposed in this disclosure, new features can be added to vehicle safety without increasing additional hardware costs. Attached Figure Description

[0012] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings of the embodiments will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below only relate to some embodiments of this disclosure and are not intended to limit this disclosure.

[0013] Figure 1 This illustrates a prior art device for determining whether a wheel fastener is loose.

[0014] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram used to show the travel trajectory of a wheel with loose wheel fasteners and a wheel with tight wheel fasteners.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram used to illustrate the spectrum of the steering input pinion torque signal when the wheel retainer is loose and when the wheel retainer is not loose.

[0016] Figure 4 This is an example flowchart of a wheel fastener loosening detection method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 5 This is an example logic diagram of a wheel fastener loosening detection method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 6 An example device for detecting loose wheel fasteners according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same components. It should be noted that the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the described embodiments of this disclosure without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0020] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used herein shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms “first,” “second,” and similar terms used in this patent application specification and claims do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, “an” or “a” and similar terms do not necessarily indicate a quantity limitation. Terms such as “comprising” or “including” mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the element or object listed following the word and its equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as “connected” or “linked” are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as “upper,” “lower,” “left,” and “right” are used only to indicate relative positional relationships, which may change accordingly when the absolute position of the described object changes.

[0021] Figure 1 A prior art device 120 is shown for determining whether a wheel fastener (i.e., wheel bolt 110) is loose. For example... Figure 1 As shown, wheel bolts 110 connect the wheel to the bearing hub and brake disc, thereby securing the wheel to the axle. As described in the background art, in order to inspect the wheel fixing components of a vehicle (e.g., Figure 1 Whether the wheel bolts (110) shown are loose is generally determined by methods such as... Figure 1 The teardrop-shaped physical device 120 is shown. (As shown...) Figure 1 As shown, after the wheel bolts 110 (i.e., wheel fasteners) are tightened, the teardrop-shaped physical device 120 is fitted onto each wheel bolt 110, and the direction of the teardrop is standardized, for example... Figure 1The diagram shows water droplets arranged circumferentially. When a wheel bolt becomes loose, the teardrop-shaped device rotates to follow the loose bolt. The looseness of the wheel bolt can then be detected visually. Currently, this device is generally used on large trucks, but for other vehicles such as cars, there are currently no specific methods or devices for detecting whether their wheel fasteners are loose. Furthermore, this method relies on visual inspection to determine whether the wheel fasteners are loose, thus suffering from inaccurate detection and the inability to detect loose wheel fasteners in a timely manner.

[0022] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram used to show the travel trajectory of a wheel with loose wheel fasteners and a wheel with tight wheel fasteners. Figure 2 The travel trajectory 230 shows the travel trajectory of the wheel 210 with loose wheel fasteners, while the travel trajectory 240 shows the travel trajectory of the wheel 220 with secure wheel fasteners. From Figure 2 It can be seen that, for the same vehicle travel distance, the wheel with loose wheel fasteners travels a longer trajectory than the wheel with secure wheel fasteners. This is because when loose wheel fasteners create a gap between the wheel and its mating parts, the wheel will wobble during rotation. Therefore, for the same vehicle travel distance, the wheel with loose wheel fasteners rotates slightly faster than the wheel with secure wheel fasteners.

[0023] Furthermore, it was found that compared to the case where the wheel retainer is not loose, when the wheel retainer is loose, resulting in a gap between the wheel and the mating parts, causing the wheel to rotate and oscillate as the vehicle moves forward, the frequency components of the vehicle steering system-related signals will differ. For example, the inventors found that when the wheel retainer is loose, the frequency components of the steering input pinion torque signal (i.e., the steering wheel torque signal) and the steering rack position signal are significantly different from those when the wheel retainer is not loose. For example, under the same vehicle driving conditions, the spectra of the steering input pinion torque signal when the wheel retainer is loose and when the wheel retainer is not loose can be as follows: Figure 3 As shown. Figure 3 As shown, compared to the spectrum 310 of the steering input pinion torque signal when the wheel fastener is not loose, the spectrum 320 of the steering input pinion torque signal when the wheel fastener is loose will exhibit an abnormal peak 330. In this disclosure, the vehicle's driving state includes, but is not limited to, vehicle speed, acceleration, and turning state (e.g., going straight, turning left, turning right, etc.). The various signals in this disclosure (e.g., the steering input pinion torque signal, etc.) and various parameters related to the vehicle's driving state (e.g., vehicle speed, etc.) can be obtained using existing sensors on the vehicle. For example, vehicle speed can be determined based on wheel speed sensors of each wheel, and vehicle acceleration can be determined based on a gyroscope, etc.

[0024] Based on the above, this disclosure provides a method, apparatus, device, computer-readable storage medium, computer program product, and vehicle for detecting loose wheel fasteners. This wheel fastener loosening detection method achieves a new function for detecting whether wheel fasteners are loose by using existing signals from sensors on the vehicle. Using the wheel fastener loosening detection method proposed in this disclosure, new features can be added to vehicle safety without increasing additional hardware costs.

[0025] For the sake of brevity, the wheel fastener loosening detection method according to embodiments of the present disclosure is described below for a single vehicle steering system. When a vehicle has multiple vehicle steering systems (e.g., two vehicle steering systems, namely a front-wheel steering system and a rear-wheel steering system), the wheel fastener loosening detection method described below can be performed for each of the multiple vehicle steering systems.

[0026] Figure 4 This is an example flowchart 400 of a wheel fastener loosening detection method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 As shown, the wheel fastener loosening detection method 400 according to an embodiment of this disclosure can begin at S410. At S410, vehicle steering system related signals are acquired. In one example of this disclosure, the vehicle steering system related signals include at least one of a steering input pinion torque signal and a steering rack position signal. Exemplarily, the steering input pinion torque signal can be acquired by a steering input pinion torque sensor on the vehicle. The steering rack position signal can be determined based on the steering input pinion angle signal and the steering motor position signal acquired by a steering input pinion angle sensor and a steering motor position sensor on the vehicle.

[0027] At S420, the spectrum of the vehicle steering system-related signal acquired at S410 is determined. In one embodiment, the acquired vehicle steering system-related signal can be frequency-transformed (e.g., any frequency transform such as Fourier transform, fast Fourier transform, etc.) to directly obtain the spectrum of the vehicle steering system-related signal. In another embodiment, the spectrum of the vehicle steering system-related signal can be obtained by performing a frequency domain transform on the acquired vehicle steering system-related signal to obtain an initial spectrum of the vehicle steering system-related signal; then filtering the initial spectrum of the vehicle steering system-related signal (e.g., high-pass filtering to filter out low-frequency signals caused by road surface irregularities) to obtain the spectrum of the vehicle steering system-related signal. In this way, low-frequency signals caused by road surface irregularities can be filtered out, reducing the interference of these low-frequency signals, thereby improving the accuracy of wheel fastener loosening detection.

[0028] At S430, based at least on a comparison of the spectrum of the vehicle steering system-related signal obtained at S420 with the spectrum of a reference vehicle steering system-related signal, it is determined whether there is a loose wheel fastener (among the vehicle's wheel fasteners). In this disclosure, in one embodiment, the reference vehicle steering system-related signal may be obtained if the wheel fastener is not loose and the vehicle's driving state is the same as when the vehicle steering system-related signal was obtained at S410. For example, it is assumed that when the vehicle steering system-related signal was obtained at S410, the vehicle's driving state was a vehicle speed of 40 km / h and a vehicle acceleration of 2 m / s². 2 And the vehicle is traveling straight. Accordingly, the relevant signals for the reference vehicle steering system can be given when all wheel anchors are secure and the vehicle's speed is 40 km / h and its acceleration is 2 m / s². 2 Furthermore, the data was obtained while the vehicle was traveling straight. In practice, after vehicle manufacturing is completed, the spectrum of vehicle steering system-related signals under various vehicle driving conditions can be obtained through testing, with all wheel fasteners firmly in place. This spectrum can then be stored in memory as a reference vehicle steering system-related signal spectrum for various vehicle driving conditions. It should be understood that the method for obtaining the reference vehicle steering system-related signals described above is merely an example and not a limitation. The reference signal can also be obtained by other methods, such as simulating vehicle driving with wheel fasteners firmly in place.

[0029] After that, when applying the method for detecting loosening of wheel fasteners according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, based on the vehicle driving state of obtaining signals related to the vehicle steering system at S410, select the spectrum of the corresponding reference signals related to the vehicle steering system from the stored spectra of reference signals related to the vehicle steering system, and then compare the selected spectrum of the reference signals related to the vehicle steering system with the spectrum of the signals related to the vehicle steering system obtained at S420, and based on the comparison result, determine whether there is a loosening wheel fastener. In practice, after vehicle manufacturing is completed, the spectra of reference signals related to the vehicle steering system in various vehicle driving states can be obtained by various methods. In an exemplary implementation: when all wheel fasteners of the vehicle are not loose, let the vehicle drive in a period of time (e.g., 30 s) in various vehicle driving states (e.g., the first vehicle driving state of straight driving with a vehicle speed of 30 km / h, an acceleration greater than 0, the second vehicle driving state of straight driving with a vehicle speed of 40 km / h, an acceleration greater than 0, etc.), and then obtain signals related to the vehicle steering system in various vehicle driving states during this period as reference signals related to the vehicle steering system in various vehicle driving states, and then perform frequency transformation (and high-pass filtering) on the obtained reference signals related to the vehicle steering system to obtain the spectra of the reference signals related to the vehicle steering system.

[0030] In this step S430, exemplarily, it can be determined that the wheel fastener is loose based on the difference between the spectrum of the signals related to the vehicle steering system and the spectrum of the reference signals related to the vehicle steering system. For example, the following can be used to determine whether there is a loosening wheel fastener: determine whether there is a peak (i.e., an abnormal peak) in the spectrum of the signals related to the vehicle steering system that does not exist in the spectrum of the reference signals related to the vehicle steering system (e.g., Figure 3 the peak 330 in it), and then determine whether there is a loosening wheel fastener based on the presence or absence of the peak. In one embodiment, it can be determined that there is a loosening wheel fastener in response to the presence of the (abnormal) peak. In another embodiment, it can be determined that there is a loosening wheel fastener in response to the presence of the (abnormal) peak and the increase of the peak as the vehicle speed increases. For example, assuming that the amplitudes of the (abnormal) peaks at vehicle speeds of 30 km / h, 40 km / h, 50 km / h, and 60 km / h of the vehicle are a1, a2, a3, and a4 respectively, then it can be determined that there is a loosening wheel fastener in response to a1 < a2 < a3 < a4.

[0031] Compared to determining the presence of a loose wheel fastener based solely on the presence of an (abnormal) peak, determining the presence of a loose wheel fastener based on the increase in the (abnormal) peak as the vehicle speed increases can reduce or eliminate false detections caused by occasional vibrations due to factors such as uneven road surfaces or sensor measurement anomalies, thus improving the accuracy of wheel fastener looseness detection. It should be understood that the above method for determining the presence of a loose wheel fastener based on (abnormal) peaks is also applicable to troughs (i.e., abnormal troughs) that exist in the spectrum of vehicle steering system-related signals but not in the spectrum of reference vehicle steering system-related signals. Figure 3 The difference is that the value of the abnormal trough (340) decreases as the vehicle speed increases.

[0032] As previously mentioned, the vehicle steering system related information can be the steering input pinion torque signal and / or the steering rack position signal. When the vehicle steering system related information includes both, optionally, in one embodiment, wheel fastener loosening can be determined based on the presence of an abnormal peak in the spectrum of either the steering input pinion torque signal or the steering rack position signal. In another embodiment, wheel fastener loosening can be determined in response to the presence of an abnormal peak in both the spectrum of the steering input pinion torque signal and the spectrum of the steering rack position signal. In yet another embodiment, considering that the axial oscillation of the wheel during rotation causes the steering rack position signal and the steering input pinion torque signal to synchronously increase by the same characteristic frequency, the presence of a loose wheel fastener can be determined as follows: determining whether the spectrum of the steering rack position signal and the spectrum of the steering input pinion torque signal have a peak at the same frequency. This same frequency is the frequency at which a peak exists in the spectrum of the steering rack position signal and / or the spectrum of the steering input pinion torque signal, but no peak exists in the spectrum of the reference steering rack position signal and / or the spectrum of the reference steering input pinion torque signal, for example... Figure 3 The frequency F1 corresponding to the abnormal peak 330 in the signal is then determined. Then, in response to the fact that the spectrum of the steering rack position signal and the spectrum of the steering input pinion torque signal have peaks at the same frequency, it is determined whether there is an abnormal peak in the spectrum of the steering rack position signal and / or the spectrum of the steering input pinion torque signal, and in response to the presence of an abnormal peak, wheel fastener loosening is determined.

[0033] Compared to determining the presence of loose wheel fasteners based on a single signal, such as the steering rack position signal or the steering input pinion torque signal, methods that determine the presence of loose wheel fasteners based on both (especially determining whether the spectrum of the steering rack position signal and the spectrum of the steering input pinion torque signal have peaks at the same frequency, and then determining the presence of loose wheel fasteners based on abnormal peaks) can reduce or eliminate false detections caused by sensor measurement anomalies, thus improving the accuracy of wheel fastener loosening detection.

[0034] Back Figure 4 In step S430, optionally, in another embodiment, the presence of loose wheel fasteners can be determined based on a comparison of the spectrum of the vehicle steering system-related signals with the spectrum of a reference vehicle steering system-related signals, and further based on a comparison of the wheel speeds of each wheel with the reference wheel speeds. In this embodiment, as... Figure 4 The wheel fastener loosening detection method shown may further include: acquiring the wheel speed of each wheel using, for example, a wheel speed sensor; comparing the acquired wheel speed of each wheel with a reference wheel speed; and then determining whether a loose wheel fastener exists based on both the comparison result of the spectrum of the vehicle steering system-related signal and the spectrum of the reference vehicle steering system-related signal, and the comparison result of the wheel speed of each wheel and the reference wheel speed. Specifically, a loose wheel fastener may be determined to exist only when both of the following conditions are met: determining the presence of a loose wheel fastener using the method described above based on the spectrum of the vehicle steering system-related signal and the spectrum of the reference vehicle steering system-related signal; and determining the presence of a loose wheel fastener based on the comparison result of the wheel speed of each wheel and the reference wheel speed. Regarding determining the presence of a loose wheel fastener based on the wheel speed comparison result, in one embodiment, the presence of a loose wheel fastener may be determined in response to the presence of a wheel whose wheel speed is greater than the reference wheel speed. In another embodiment, the presence of a loose wheel fastener may be determined in response to the presence of a wheel whose wheel speed difference from the reference wheel speed is greater than a threshold wheel speed difference. This embodiment can avoid false detections caused by sensor measurement anomalies, thus improving the accuracy of wheel fastener loosening detection.

[0035] In this disclosure, the reference wheel speeds of all wheels are the same and can be obtained when: the wheel fasteners of the vehicle are not loose; and the vehicle's driving state is the same as when the wheel speeds of each wheel were obtained. It should be understood that, similar to the reference vehicle steering system related signals, the reference wheel speeds can also be obtained through simulation. Furthermore, in this disclosure, the acquisition of vehicle steering system related signals and wheel speeds can be performed simultaneously or sequentially. For example, the wheel speeds of each wheel can be acquired only after it has been determined, based on the vehicle steering system related signals, that there are loose wheel fasteners among the vehicle's wheel fasteners.

[0036] Compared to the methods described above that rely solely on vehicle steering system-related signals to determine the presence of loose wheel fasteners, the method that uses both vehicle steering system-related signals and wheel speeds of each wheel can reduce or eliminate false positives caused by wheel imbalance, road surface disturbances, inertial damping, and actual wheel vibration. This is because wheel imbalance, road surface disturbances, inertial damping, and actual wheel vibration may cause spectral changes in vehicle steering system-related signals, but do not affect wheel speed. For example, wheel imbalance (e.g., uneven mud adhesion to the wheels) can cause radial vibrations in the wheels, which can also cause abnormal peaks or troughs in the spectrum of the steering input pinion torque signal and the steering rack position signal. In such cases, false positives may occur if the determination of loose wheel fasteners is based solely on vehicle steering system-related signals. However, determining the presence of loose wheel fasteners based on both vehicle steering system-related signals and wheel speeds of each wheel avoids these false positives.

[0037] In a further embodiment, after determining that a loose wheel fastener exists based on the above method, the loose wheel fastener of which wheel can be determined based on the comparison between the wheel speed of each wheel and a reference wheel speed. In one embodiment, the wheel fastener of the wheel with a wheel speed greater than the reference wheel speed can be determined to be loose. In another embodiment, the wheel fastener of the wheel with a wheel speed difference greater than a threshold wheel speed difference can be determined to be loose. Optionally, the degree of looseness of the wheel fastener can also be determined based on the difference between the wheel speed of the loose wheel and the reference wheel speed. Exemplarily, in one embodiment, a threshold wheel speed difference can be set. When the difference between the wheel speed of the loose wheel and the reference wheel speed is less than the threshold wheel speed difference, the degree of looseness of the wheel fastener is determined to be low; when the difference between the wheel speed of the loose wheel and the reference wheel speed is greater than the threshold wheel speed difference, the degree of looseness of the wheel fastener is determined to be high. In another embodiment, a first threshold wheel speed difference and a second threshold wheel speed difference can be set, wherein the second threshold wheel speed difference is greater than the first threshold wheel speed difference. When the difference between the wheel speed of the loose wheel and the reference wheel speed is less than the first threshold wheel speed difference, the looseness of the wheel fastener is determined to be low; when the difference between the wheel speed of the loose wheel and the reference wheel speed is greater than the first threshold wheel speed difference but less than the second threshold wheel speed difference, the looseness of the wheel fastener is determined to be medium; when the difference between the wheel speed of the loose wheel and the reference wheel speed is greater than the second threshold wheel speed difference, the looseness of the wheel fastener is determined to be high. It should be understood that more threshold wheel speed differences can be set to further classify the looseness of the wheel fastener, and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0038] In a further embodiment, the wheel fastener loosening detection method described above can also be constrained. For example, a constraint on the vehicle driving state can be imposed on the execution of the wheel fastener loosening detection method described above. For example, although in S410, vehicle steering system related signals can be acquired under any vehicle driving state (e.g., any vehicle speed), the vehicle driving state for acquiring vehicle steering system related signals can be constrained. For example, S410 can be executed only when the vehicle driving state meets a predetermined vehicle driving state. In one embodiment, the predetermined vehicle driving state may include a predetermined vehicle speed, a predetermined vehicle acceleration, and a predetermined steering state (e.g., straight driving, etc.). For example, the predetermined vehicle driving state may be that the vehicle speed is greater than a threshold speed (e.g., 5 km / h) and the vehicle acceleration is greater than 0 (i.e., the vehicle is in an acceleration state). By restricting the execution of the wheel fastener loosening detection method described above to only when the vehicle speed is greater than the threshold speed and the vehicle acceleration is greater than 0, false detections can be prevented to some extent, because the wheel speed sensor has poor detection accuracy at very low vehicle speeds (e.g., below 5 km / h). It should be understood that, although in the above text, in Figure 4The example described above, which applies vehicle driving state constraints prior to step S410, is merely an example and not a limitation. This constraint can be applied at any step. For instance, vehicle driving state constraints can be applied at... Figure 4 Apply before S430.

[0039] Upon determining that a wheel fastener is loose, a warning can be issued and / or appropriate safety procedures can be performed. Exemplarily, different warnings and / or procedures can be implemented depending on the degree of looseness of the wheel fastener. For example, when the degree of looseness of the wheel fastener is determined to be low (e.g., vibration has just been detected, and the wheel is still attached with no risk of detachment), a "repair needed" warning signal can be issued. This can be done, for example, by displaying "repair needed" or "The wheel fastener is loose and requires repair" on the vehicle's display screen. In another example, the "repair needed" warning signal can be issued by a voice announcement of "repair needed" or "The wheel fastener is loose and requires repair." When the degree of looseness of the wheel fastener is determined to be high (e.g., when vibration is so strong that the wheel could detach at any moment), an "emergency stop" warning signal can be issued. Furthermore, when the vehicle is operating in autonomous driving mode, a buzzer alarm can be sounded and a request can be made to proceed to a dealership at a limited speed (e.g., below 10 km / h) upon detection of a loose wheel fastener.

[0040] In the above text, combined Figure 4 A method for detecting loose wheel fasteners according to embodiments of the present disclosure is described. For a better understanding of the present disclosure, it will be discussed below in conjunction with... Figure 5 Describe an example scenario for determining whether a vehicle has loose wheel fasteners based on both vehicle steering system signals and wheel speeds. For example... Figure 5 The above, Figure 5 The example begins at step 510, where the vehicle's wheel speed and / or acceleration are acquired, and the vehicle speed is determined based on the wheel speed. At 520, it is determined whether the vehicle speed is greater than a threshold speed and / or whether the acceleration is greater than 0. In response to determining that the vehicle speed is greater than the threshold speed and / or the acceleration is greater than 0, steps 530 (determining whether a loose wheel fastener exists based on vehicle steering system-related signals) and 540 (determining whether a loose wheel fastener exists based on wheel speed) are executed. Steps 530 and 540 are the same as the method described above for determining whether a loose wheel fastener exists based on vehicle steering system-related signals and wheel speed, and will not be repeated here for brevity. Subsequently, in response to determining that a wheel fastener is loose at 536 and 544, a final determination of a loose wheel fastener (550) can be made. At 560, in response to determining that a wheel fastener is loose at 550, a warning or action can be taken.

[0041] In the foregoing, this disclosure combines Figure 4 and Figure 5 A wheel fastener loosening detection method according to embodiments of the present disclosure is described. This method implements a new function for detecting whether wheel fasteners are loose by using existing signals from sensors on the vehicle. Using the wheel fastener loosening detection method proposed in this disclosure, new features can be added to vehicle safety without increasing additional hardware costs. Furthermore, the wheel fastener loosening detection method according to this disclosure can determine the presence of loose wheel fasteners based on both vehicle steering system-related signals and the wheel speeds of each wheel. This can reduce or eliminate false detections of wheel fastener loosening caused by wheel imbalance, road surface disturbances, inertial damping, and actual wheel vibration, thereby improving the accuracy of wheel fastener loosening detection.

[0042] In practice, the wheel fastener loosening detection function according to embodiments of this disclosure can be embedded in the Vehicle Control Unit (VCU), that is, the VCU executes / controls the wheel fastener detection method according to embodiments of this disclosure. Of course, it can also be embedded in other vehicle systems (e.g., the steering system), and this disclosure does not limit this. Furthermore, the wheel fastener loosening method according to embodiments of this disclosure can be applied not only to the daily driving process of vehicles after they are sold, but also to the vehicle manufacturing process, which can detect in a timely manner whether wheel fasteners (wheel bolt assemblies) are loose or missing during vehicle manufacturing.

[0043] In the foregoing, this disclosure combines Figures 2-5 A method for detecting loose wheel fasteners according to embodiments of the present disclosure is described. Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be combined with... Figure 6 This disclosure describes apparatus, device, computer-readable storage medium, computer program product, and vehicle for detecting loose wheel fasteners according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0044] Figure 6 An example device 600 for detecting loose wheel fasteners according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 6 The example (electronic) device 600 for detecting loose wheel fasteners according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a processor 610 and a memory 620. A computer program is stored on the memory 620. The processor 610 executes the computer program to implement the steps of the method (e.g., method 400) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] Furthermore, this disclosure also provides an apparatus for detecting loose wheel fasteners, comprising: components for performing the steps of the method according to embodiments of this disclosure. For example, it includes: components for acquiring vehicle steering system-related signals; components for determining the spectrum of the acquired vehicle steering system-related signals; and components for determining whether a loose wheel fastener exists, at least based on a comparison of the spectrum of the vehicle steering system-related signals with the spectrum of a reference vehicle steering system-related signal.

[0046] Furthermore, this disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method according to embodiments of this disclosure.

[0047] Furthermore, this disclosure also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method according to embodiments of this disclosure.

[0048] Furthermore, this disclosure also provides a vehicle that may include a control unit (e.g., a VCU embedded with a wheel fastener loosening detection method according to an embodiment of this disclosure) for implementing the steps of the method according to embodiments of this disclosure.

[0049] This disclosure has now been combined with Figures 2-6 This disclosure describes a wheel fastener loosening detection method, apparatus, device, computer-readable storage medium, computer program product, and vehicle according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The wheel fastener loosening detection method according to embodiments of the present disclosure implements a new function for detecting whether a wheel fastener is loose by using existing signals from sensors on the vehicle. Using the wheel fastener loosening detection method proposed in this disclosure, new features can be added to vehicle safety without increasing additional hardware costs. Furthermore, the wheel fastener loosening detection method and apparatus according to the present disclosure can determine whether a wheel fastener is loose based on both vehicle steering system-related signals and wheel speeds of individual wheels. This can reduce or eliminate false detections of wheel fastener loosening caused by wheel imbalance, road surface disturbances, inertial damping, and actual wheel vibration, thereby improving the accuracy of wheel fastener loosening detection.

[0050] Although the foregoing description of the wheel fastener loosening detection method according to embodiments of the present disclosure is in conjunction with a vehicle, it should be understood that the wheel fastener loosening detection method according to embodiments of the present disclosure is not limited to vehicles, but can be applied to any vehicle whose wheels loosening would cause the aforementioned spectrum changes and wheel speed variations. Furthermore, the various thresholds of the present disclosure (e.g., threshold speed, threshold wheel speed difference, etc.) can be appropriately set according to experimental and practical needs. The present disclosure does not impose any limitations in this regard. Additionally, a certain range of deviation is permissible for the various values ​​mentioned in the present disclosure. This range can be appropriately set based on experimental and practical needs. For example, the present disclosure mentions a vehicle speed of 40 km / h and a vehicle acceleration of 2 m / s². 2 This can be a vehicle speed within the range of 40 (+ / -1) km / h and a vehicle acceleration within the range of 2 (+ / -0.1) m / s².

[0051] It should be noted that the above description is merely an embodiment of this disclosure and an explanation of the technical principles employed. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of this disclosure is not limited to technical solutions formed by specific combinations of the above-described technical features, but should also cover other technical solutions formed by arbitrary combinations of the above-described technical features or their equivalents without departing from the above-described concept. For example, technical solutions formed by substituting the above features with (but not limited to) technical features disclosed in this disclosure that have similar functions.

[0052] Furthermore, while the operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring these operations to be performed in the specific order shown or in a sequential order. In certain environments, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, while several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure. Certain features described in the context of individual embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0053] Although the subject matter has been described using language specific to structural features and / or methodological logic, it should be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are merely illustrative examples of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A method for detecting loose wheel fasteners, wherein the wheel fasteners are used to secure a wheel to an axle, the method comprising: Acquire signals related to the vehicle steering system; Determine the spectrum of the acquired vehicle steering system-related signals; The presence of loose wheel fasteners is determined based at least on a comparison of the spectrum of the vehicle steering system-related signals with the spectrum of a reference vehicle steering system-related signals.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The vehicle steering system related signals include at least one of the steering input pinion torque signal and the steering rack position signal.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The spectrum of the acquired vehicle steering system-related signals is determined by: The acquired vehicle steering system-related signals are subjected to frequency domain transformation to obtain the initial spectrum of the vehicle steering system-related signals; The initial spectrum of the vehicle steering system-related signals is high-pass filtered to obtain the spectrum of the vehicle steering system-related signals.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Determining whether there are loose wheel fasteners includes: Determine whether there are peak values ​​in the spectrum of the vehicle steering system-related signals that are not present in the spectrum of the reference vehicle steering system-related signals; Based on the presence of the aforementioned peak value, it was determined that a loose wheel fastener exists.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, Based on the presence of the aforementioned peak value, the loose wheel fasteners are identified as including: In response to the fact that the peak value increases with the vehicle speed, it is determined that there is a loose wheel fastener.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Acquiring the relevant signals of the vehicle steering system includes: Determine whether the vehicle's speed is greater than a threshold speed and / or whether the vehicle's acceleration is greater than 0; and In response to the vehicle speed being greater than a threshold speed and / or the vehicle acceleration being greater than 0, relevant signals of the vehicle steering system are acquired.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The vehicle steering system related signals include the steering input pinion torque signal and the steering rack position signal, and determining whether there is a loose wheel fastener includes: Determine whether the spectrum of the steering input pinion torque signal and the spectrum of the steering rack position signal have a peak at the same frequency; and In response to the fact that the spectrum of the steering input pinion torque signal and the spectrum of the steering rack position signal have a peak at the same frequency, based on the comparison results of the spectrum of the steering input pinion torque signal and / or the spectrum of the steering rack position signal with the spectrum of the reference steering input pinion torque signal and / or the spectrum of the reference steering rack position signal, it is determined whether there is a loose wheel fastener.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Obtain the wheel speed of each wheel. The wheel speeds of each wheel are compared with the reference wheel speeds. in, Determining whether there are loose wheel fasteners includes: Based on the comparison results of the spectrum of the vehicle steering system related signals and the spectrum of the reference vehicle steering system related signals, as well as the comparison results of the wheel speed of each wheel and the reference wheel speed, it is determined whether there are any loose wheel fasteners.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: In response to the determination of a loose wheel fastener, the wheel fastener of a wheel whose wheel speed is greater than a reference wheel speed is loose.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: The degree of looseness of the wheel fastener is determined based on the difference between the wheel speed of the loose wheel and the reference wheel speed.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The reference vehicle steering system related signals are acquired under the following conditions: the wheel fasteners are not loose; and the vehicle's driving state is the same as the vehicle's driving state when the vehicle steering system related signals are acquired, wherein the vehicle driving state includes at least one of the following: vehicle speed, vehicle acceleration, and vehicle steering state.

12. A vehicle including a vehicle control unit (VCU) for implementing the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1-11.

13. An apparatus for detecting loose wheel fasteners, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, the processor executing the computer program to implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1-11.

14. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1-11.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1-11.

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