Method and apparatus for detecting mechanical connection failure of a height sensor
By collecting and analyzing the spectral energy and coherence characteristics of the height sensor output signal and wheel speed signal, the problem of detecting mechanical connection failure of the height sensor is solved, enabling accurate diagnosis and predictive maintenance, and avoiding the false alarm rate of traditional methods.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ANHUI JIANGHUAI AUTOMOBILE GRP CORP LTD
- Filing Date
- 2026-05-09
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-21
AI Technical Summary
Existing technologies struggle to effectively detect mechanical connection failures in height sensors, especially when the electrical wiring is intact. In such cases, the sensor may output a fixed voltage value, deceiving the control system and creating a safety hazard.
By collecting the output voltage signal of the height sensor and the wheel speed pulse signal of the wheel on the same side, the wheel speed fundamental frequency is calculated, high-frequency signal components are extracted, key analysis frequency bands are constructed, and spectral energy characteristics and coherence characteristics are calculated to determine mechanical connection failure.
It accurately and reliably diagnoses mechanical connection failures of height sensors, avoids false alarms with a low rate, enables predictive intelligent maintenance, and costs nothing, requiring no additional hardware modules.
Smart Images
Figure CN122426014A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of vehicle sensor detection technology, and in particular to a method and device for detecting mechanical connection failure of a height sensor. Background Technology
[0002] Electronically controlled air suspension systems are key to modern cars' improved comfort and handling stability. They use four independent height sensors to monitor the ground clearance of the vehicle's four corners in real time, forming a closed-loop control system. The reliability of the height sensors is crucial; a malfunction could lead to vehicle tilt, abnormal ground clearance, or loss of handling stability.
[0003] Traditional diagnostic methods primarily focus on the electrical characteristics of sensors (such as open circuits and short circuits) or the plausibility of their output signals. However, a hidden and dangerous failure mode—physical breakage or jamming of mechanical connecting parts in height sensors—is difficult to detect effectively. When the mechanical connection fails but the electrical circuit is intact, the sensor may output a fixed, "plausible" voltage value, deceiving the control system and creating a serious safety hazard. Summary of the Invention
[0004] In view of the above, the present invention aims to provide a method and apparatus for detecting mechanical connection failure of a height sensor, so as to solve the aforementioned technical problems.
[0005] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows:
[0006] This invention provides a method for detecting mechanical connection failure of a height sensor, comprising:
[0007] During the vehicle's journey in a predetermined scenario, the output voltage signal of the height sensor to be detected, as well as the wheel speed pulse signal of the wheel located on the same side as the height sensor, are collected.
[0008] The wheel speed fundamental frequency is obtained based on the wheel speed pulse signal;
[0009] Based on the output voltage signal, extract the high-frequency signal components that are higher than the preset cutoff frequency;
[0010] Based on the wheel speed fundamental frequency, a key analysis frequency band is constructed, and the spectral energy characteristics of the high-frequency signal component within the key analysis frequency band are calculated.
[0011] Within the key analysis frequency band, the coherence characteristics of the high-frequency signal component and the reference signal are obtained through the coherence function of the high-frequency signal component and the reference signal.
[0012] Based on the spectral energy characteristics and the coherence characteristics, it is determined that the altitude sensor has experienced a mechanical connection failure.
[0013] Optionally, the wheel speed fundamental frequency is obtained based on the wheel speed pulse signal, including:
[0014] The instantaneous speed is calculated based on the time interval of the wheel speed pulse signal to obtain the wheel speed fundamental frequency.
[0015] Optionally, based on the output voltage signal, high-frequency signal components higher than a preset cutoff frequency are extracted, including:
[0016] The cutoff frequency is set to 2.5Hz, and the output voltage signal is filtered to obtain high-frequency signal components.
[0017] Optionally, based on the wheel speed fundamental frequency, a key analysis frequency band is constructed, and the spectral energy characteristics of the high-frequency signal component within the key analysis frequency band are calculated, including:
[0018] Using the fundamental frequency of the wheel speed as the center frequency, a frequency band is constructed to obtain the key analysis frequency band;
[0019] Perform a Fast Fourier Transform on the high-frequency signal components to obtain the spectrum of the high-frequency signal components;
[0020] The spectral energy of the high-frequency signal component within the key analysis frequency band is calculated to obtain the spectral energy characteristics.
[0021] Optionally, within the key analysis frequency band, the coherence characteristics of the high-frequency signal component and the reference signal are obtained through the coherence function of the high-frequency signal component and the reference signal, including:
[0022] Calculate multiple coherence values of the coherence function between the high-frequency signal component and the reference signal within the key analysis frequency band;
[0023] Extract the maximum value from multiple coherent values to obtain the coherence feature.
[0024] Optionally, determining a mechanical connection failure in the altitude sensor based on the spectral energy characteristics and the coherence characteristics includes:
[0025] When the spectral energy characteristic is less than the spectral energy health reference threshold and the coherence characteristic is less than the coherence health reference threshold, it is determined that the altitude sensor has experienced a mechanical connection failure.
[0026] Optionally, the mechanical connection failure includes physical breakage, loosening, or jamming of the external mechanical transmission components of the height sensor.
[0027] Optionally, the method for detecting mechanical connection failure of the height sensor further includes:
[0028] After determining that the height sensor has experienced a mechanical connection failure, a corresponding diagnostic fault code is generated and recorded, and the signal of the faulty sensor is isolated in the electronically controlled air suspension system.
[0029] The present invention also provides a computing device, comprising: a processor and a memory storing a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by the processor, performs the method described above.
[0030] The present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method described above.
[0031] The above-described solution of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:
[0032] The above-described solution of the present invention collects the output voltage signal of the height sensor to be tested and the wheel speed pulse signal of the wheel on the same side as the height sensor during the vehicle's driving in a predetermined scenario; obtains the wheel speed fundamental frequency based on the wheel speed pulse signal; extracts high-frequency signal components higher than a preset cutoff frequency based on the output voltage signal; constructs a key analysis frequency band based on the wheel speed fundamental frequency, and calculates the spectral energy characteristics of the high-frequency signal components within the key analysis frequency band; obtains the coherence characteristics of the high-frequency signal components and the reference signal through the coherence function within the key analysis frequency band; and determines whether the height sensor has experienced mechanical connection failure based on the spectral energy characteristics and the coherence characteristics. This method can diagnose the mechanical health status by detecting the dynamic characteristics (spectral energy and coherence) of the sensor's output signal, accurately and reliably diagnosing whether a vehicle height sensor has experienced mechanical connection failure. Attached Figure Description
[0033] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a method for detecting mechanical connection failure of a height sensor provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation
[0035] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.
[0036] This invention proposes an embodiment of a method for detecting mechanical connection failure of a height sensor, specifically, as follows: Figure 1 As shown, it includes:
[0037] Step 11: During the vehicle's driving in the predetermined scenario, the output voltage signal of the height sensor to be detected and the wheel speed pulse signal of the wheel located on the same side as the height sensor are collected.
[0038] Step 12: Obtain the wheel speed fundamental frequency based on the wheel speed pulse signal;
[0039] Step 13: Extract high-frequency signal components that are higher than the preset cutoff frequency based on the output voltage signal;
[0040] Step 14: Based on the wheel speed fundamental frequency, construct a key analysis frequency band and calculate the spectral energy characteristics of the high-frequency signal component within the key analysis frequency band;
[0041] Step 15: Within the key analysis frequency band, obtain the coherence characteristics of the high-frequency signal component and the reference signal through the coherence function of the high-frequency signal component and the reference signal.
[0042] Step 16: Based on the spectral energy characteristics and the coherence characteristics, determine that the height sensor has experienced a mechanical connection failure.
[0043] In this embodiment, the electronically controlled air suspension system refers to a suspension system that actively adjusts the air spring pressure through an electronic control unit to achieve vehicle height control. A height sensor is installed between the vehicle body and the axle to measure the relative vertical displacement between the two. It typically converts mechanical displacement into a voltage or frequency signal output.
[0044] In step 11, during normal vehicle operation, the vehicle controller (ECU) continuously monitors the vehicle speed and driving status. In different driving scenarios, the output voltage signal of the height sensor under test, as well as the wheel speed pulse signal of the wheel located on the same side as the height sensor, are collected.
[0045] For example, when the vehicle speed is between 30 km / h and 90 km / h, a steering wheel angle and angular velocity less than a certain value indicate that the vehicle is traveling in a straight line on an urban road; when the vehicle speed is between 30 km / h and 90 km / h, a steering wheel angle or angular velocity greater than a certain value indicates that the vehicle is traveling on a curve on an urban road; when the vehicle speed is between 90 km / h and 150 km / h, a steering wheel angle and angular velocity less than a certain value indicate that the vehicle is traveling in a straight line on a highway.
[0046] After different diagnostic scenarios are triggered, the vehicle controller synchronously acquires signals for a continuous period of time (e.g., 3-5 seconds) at a high sampling rate (e.g., >100 Hz):
[0047] Output voltage signal of the target height sensor to be diagnosed ;
[0048] The wheel speed pulse signal of the wheel on the same side as the height sensor.
[0049] In step 12, the instantaneous speed is calculated based on the time interval of the wheel speed pulse signals to obtain the wheel speed fundamental frequency. Then, a smoothing filter is applied to obtain a stable value.
[0050] Specifically, if the number of teeth on the target wheel is N and the time interval between adjacent pulses is Δt, then the fundamental frequency of the wheel speed is:
[0051] ;
[0052] The wheel speed signal here refers to the pulse signal from the vehicle's anti-lock braking system or wheel speed sensors, reflecting the wheel's rotational angular velocity. The wheel speed fundamental frequency refers to the wheel rotation frequency directly calculated from the wheel speed signal, measured in Hertz (Hz).
[0053] In step 13, the output voltage signal of the height sensor is... A high-pass digital filter was applied, with the cutoff frequency set to 2.5Hz, to filter out the low-frequency trend of slow changes in vehicle body posture, thus obtaining the high-frequency signal component that mainly contains mechanical structural vibration information. .
[0054] In step 14, the wheel speed is taken as the base frequency. The stimulus source generates a response that is related to the stimulus source. A clean reference signal R(t) of the same frequency, with the wheel speed as the fundamental frequency. Using the center frequency as the basis, a frequency band is constructed to obtain the key analysis frequency band. ,in This frequency band is designed to focus on the core vibrational components caused by the direct excitation of wheel rotation.
[0055] Furthermore, the output voltage signal of the altitude sensor Its spectrum is obtained by performing a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). Calculate the spectrum The spectral energy characteristics are obtained by analyzing the spectral energy within the key frequency band. .
[0056] In step 15, the high-frequency signal components are calculated. The coherence function with respect to the reference signal R(t) at frequency , coherence value at point The coherence function is an index in the frequency domain that measures the degree of linear correlation between two signals at a specific frequency, with a value between 0 and 1. The closer the value is to 1, the stronger the causal relationship between the two signals at that frequency.
[0057] Extract all coherent values within the key analysis frequency band, and extract the maximum value. As a coherence characteristic, the level of coherence directly reflects the degree to which the height sensor signal follows the wheel speed excitation.
[0058] In step 16, health benchmark learning is first performed: when the sensor is brand new and properly connected, a large amount of data is collected in different preset scenarios from step 11, and the corresponding spectral energy characteristics are calculated. and coherence characteristics Through statistical analysis, the baseline threshold for spectral energy health under different preset scenarios was determined. and coherence health benchmark threshold The spectral energy health benchmark threshold here. and coherence health benchmark threshold This refers to the lower limit of the spectral energy and the lower limit of coherence of the signal within the key frequency band, obtained through experimental calibration or initial learning, under the condition that the mechanical connection of the altitude sensor is intact and healthy.
[0059] Online fault diagnosis: Real-time calculation of current feature values and .
[0060] Based on the current scenario, compare the health baseline with that of the preset scenario:
[0061] like and If the condition persists for a preset number of diagnostic cycles (e.g., 3 consecutive cycles), then the mechanical connection of the height sensor is ultimately determined to be broken. Mechanical connection failure includes physical breakage, loosening, or jamming of the external mechanical transmission components of the height sensor, resulting in the sensor's detection end being unable to follow the actual movement of the suspension.
[0062] Once a fault is confirmed, the ECU immediately records a unique "Mechanical Connection Failure" diagnostic fault code (DTC). In the suspension control, the signal from the faulty sensor is isolated, and a Kalman filter-based data fusion fault-tolerant algorithm is enabled to estimate the wheel height in real time using the remaining sensor and IMU signals, ensuring basic vehicle driving safety and functionality.
[0063] The method for detecting mechanical connection failure of the height sensor in this embodiment diagnoses the mechanical health status by detecting the dynamic characteristics (spectral energy and coherence) of the sensor output signal. This fundamentally solves the problem that traditional methods are ineffective for "static jamming" faults, and accurately and reliably diagnoses whether the vehicle height sensor has experienced mechanical connection breakage or jamming.
[0064] The principle of using wheel rotation—an inherent physical quantity decoupled from vehicle body motion—as an excitation reference is clear. Through frequency domain coherent analysis, it is possible to effectively focus on specific vibration components transmitted by mechanical connections, eliminate irrelevant noise interference, and provide sufficient physical basis for diagnostic conclusions with a low false alarm rate.
[0065] This method is a pure software algorithm solution that fully reuses the vehicle's existing standard sensor network and ECU computing power without adding any wiring harnesses, sensors, or hardware modules. It has extremely high economic efficiency and scalability, achieving zero cost and facilitating industrialization.
[0066] Through long-term monitoring The slow decay trend of features such as these can detect performance degradation before the mechanical connection completely breaks (such as the appearance of cracks or severe loosening), providing a data foundation for predictive intelligent maintenance.
[0067] An embodiment of the present invention also provides a computing device, including: a processor and a memory storing a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by the processor, performs the method described in the above embodiments. All implementations in the above method embodiments are applicable to this embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect.
[0068] In this embodiment of the invention, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, storing instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method described in the above embodiments. All implementations of the methods described in the above embodiments are applicable to this embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect.
[0069] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this invention.
[0070] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.
[0071] In the embodiments provided by this invention, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.
[0072] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.
[0073] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present invention can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.
[0074] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this invention, essentially, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this invention. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.
[0075] Furthermore, it should be noted that in the apparatus and method of the present invention, it is obvious that the components or steps can be decomposed and / or recombined. These decompositions and / or recombinations should be considered equivalent solutions of the present invention. Moreover, the steps performing the above series of processes can naturally be executed in the order described, but are not necessarily required to be executed in chronological order; some steps can be executed in parallel or independently of each other. Those skilled in the art will understand that all or any step or component of the method and apparatus of the present invention can be implemented in any computing device (including processors, storage media, etc.) or network of computing devices, in hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. This is something that those skilled in the art can achieve by using their basic programming skills after reading the description of the present invention.
[0076] Therefore, the object of the present invention can also be achieved by running a program or a set of programs on any computing device. The computing device can be a known general-purpose device. Therefore, the object of the present invention can also be achieved simply by providing a program product containing program code implementing the method or apparatus. That is, such a program product also constitutes the present invention, and the storage medium storing such a program product also constitutes the present invention. Obviously, the storage medium can be any known storage medium or any storage medium developed in the future. It should also be noted that in the apparatus and method of the present invention, it is obvious that the components or steps can be decomposed and / or recombined. These decompositions and / or recombinations should be considered equivalent to the present invention. Furthermore, the steps performing the above series of processes can naturally be performed in the order described, but are not necessarily required to be performed in chronological order. Some steps can be performed in parallel or independently of each other.
[0077] The above description represents the preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications without departing from the principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. A method for detecting mechanical connection failure of a height sensor, characterized in that, include: During the vehicle's journey in a predetermined scenario, the output voltage signal of the height sensor to be detected, as well as the wheel speed pulse signal of the wheel located on the same side as the height sensor, are collected. The wheel speed fundamental frequency is obtained based on the wheel speed pulse signal; Based on the output voltage signal, extract the high-frequency signal components that are higher than the preset cutoff frequency; Based on the wheel speed fundamental frequency, a key analysis frequency band is constructed, and the spectral energy characteristics of the high-frequency signal component within the key analysis frequency band are calculated. Within the key analysis frequency band, the coherence characteristics of the high-frequency signal component and the reference signal are obtained through the coherence function of the high-frequency signal component and the reference signal. Based on the spectral energy characteristics and the coherence characteristics, it is determined whether the height sensor has experienced a mechanical connection failure.
2. The method for detecting mechanical connection failure of a height sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, Based on the wheel speed pulse signal, the wheel speed fundamental frequency is obtained, including: The instantaneous speed is calculated based on the time interval of the wheel speed pulse signal to obtain the wheel speed fundamental frequency.
3. The method for detecting mechanical connection failure of a height sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, Based on the output voltage signal, high-frequency signal components higher than a preset cutoff frequency are extracted, including: The cutoff frequency is set to 2.5Hz, and the output voltage signal is filtered to obtain high-frequency signal components.
4. The method for detecting mechanical connection failure of a height sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, Based on the wheel speed fundamental frequency, a key analysis frequency band is constructed, and the spectral energy characteristics of the high-frequency signal components within the key analysis frequency band are calculated, including: Using the fundamental frequency of the wheel speed as the center frequency, a frequency band is constructed to obtain the key analysis frequency band; Perform a Fast Fourier Transform on the high-frequency signal components to obtain the spectrum of the high-frequency signal components; The spectral energy of the high-frequency signal component within the key analysis frequency band is calculated to obtain the spectral energy characteristics.
5. The method for detecting mechanical connection failure of a height sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, Within the key analysis frequency band, the coherence characteristics of the high-frequency signal component and the reference signal are obtained through the coherence function of the high-frequency signal component and the reference signal, including: Calculate multiple coherence values of the coherence function between the high-frequency signal component and the reference signal within the key analysis frequency band; Extract the maximum value from multiple coherent values to obtain the coherence feature.
6. The method for detecting mechanical connection failure of a height sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, Based on the spectral energy characteristics and the coherence characteristics, determining whether the altitude sensor has experienced a mechanical connection failure includes: When the spectral energy characteristic is less than the spectral energy health reference threshold and the coherence characteristic is less than the coherence health reference threshold, it is determined that the altitude sensor has experienced a mechanical connection failure.
7. The method for detecting mechanical connection failure of a height sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mechanical connection failure includes physical breakage, loosening, or jamming of the external mechanical transmission components of the altitude sensor.
8. The method for detecting mechanical connection failure of a height sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: After determining that the height sensor has experienced a mechanical connection failure, a corresponding diagnostic fault code is generated and recorded, and the signal of the faulty sensor is isolated in the electronically controlled air suspension system.
9. A computing device, characterized in that, include: A processor, a memory storing a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by the processor, performs the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.
10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The device stores instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.