Sensing unit

Abstract

To provide a sensing unit capable of suppressing deterioration of a battery or a controller unit.SOLUTION: A sensing unit (1) to be attached to a wheel (11) of a tire includes acceleration sensors (13a, 13b), a controller unit (15) and a battery for power source (17). The controller unit and the battery for power source are arranged in a first region which is an internal region with a first radius r1 from the center of rotation of the wheel, the acceleration sensors are arranged in a second region which is a region from the first radius to a second radius r2 from the center of rotation of the wheel, and the first region exists within a PCD region of the wheel, r2 / r1 being 1.1 to 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sensing unit that is attached to a tire wheel. [Background technology]

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-039854 describes a tire vibration detection device. This tire vibration detection device integrates a vibration detection means, a transmitter, and a power supply battery with an air filling valve provided on a tire wheel. Because the main elements of this device are integrated with the air filling valve, it is easy to install on the tire wheel. However, this device has the problem that the transmitter and power supply battery are easily deteriorated because they are exposed to shocks. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-039854 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a sensing unit that can suppress deterioration of the battery and the controller unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The above problem is basically based on the finding that by placing the battery and controller unit in the central area of ​​the tire wheel and installing sensors in areas of the tire wheel that are relatively less likely to become saturated, it is possible to provide a sensing unit that can suppress deterioration of the battery and controller unit.

[0006] The first invention relates to a sensing unit 1. The sensing unit 1 is attached to the wheel 11 of the tire. The sensing unit 1 includes an acceleration sensor 13, a controller unit 15, and a power supply battery 17. The power supply battery 17 supplies power to the acceleration sensor 13 and the controller unit 15 . The controller unit 15 outputs information based on the sensing information received from the acceleration sensor 13 . The controller unit 15 and the power supply battery 17 are installed in a first region 21, which is an internal region of a first radius r1 from the center of rotation of the wheel 11. The first region 21 exists within the PCD region of the wheel 11. An example of r1 is 15 mm or more and 40 mm or less. The acceleration sensor 13 is installed in a second region 23 that is a region from the center of rotation of the wheel 11, ranging from a first radius r1 to a second radius r2. r2 / r1 is 1.1 or more and 4 or less, and may be 2 or more and 3.5 or less. An example of r2-r1 is 1.5 mm or more and 80 mm or less.

[0007] The acceleration sensor 13 may include a first acceleration sensor 13a and a second acceleration sensor 13b. The first acceleration sensor 13a and the second acceleration sensor 13b are preferably attached at positions symmetrical with respect to the center of rotation of the wheel. In this case, it is preferable that the controller unit 15 transmits sensing information, which is information relating to the first acceleration obtained from the first acceleration sensor 13a and the second acceleration obtained from the second acceleration sensor 13b, to a control device mounted on a vehicle on which the tire is mounted. The sensing information transmitted to the control equipment is preferably information relating to the difference between the first acceleration and the second acceleration.

[0008] The second invention relates to a tire wheel 11 having any one of the sensing units 1 described above.

[0009] A third aspect of the present invention relates to a vehicle having the tire wheel 11 described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] A sensing unit can be provided that can suppress deterioration of the battery and controller unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the sensing unit. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an example of a wheel equipped with a sensing unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The following describes embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and also includes appropriate modifications of the embodiments below within the scope obvious to those skilled in the art.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the sensing unit. The sensing unit 1 is attached to the tire wheel of a vehicle and is an element for detecting abnormalities in the tire or wheel. The sensing unit 1 is preferably one that detects, for example, tire wobble or rotation abnormality. The vehicle may be any vehicle that has a tire wheel as a part thereof. Examples of vehicles are automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, and aircraft. The sensing unit 1 is attached to the tire wheel 11. The sensing unit 1 may be attached to the surface of the tire wheel 11. The sensing unit 1 may also be installed inside a hubcap. The sensing unit 1 may be attached to the inside of the wheel 11 or embedded in the wheel 11.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the sensing unit 1 includes an acceleration sensor 13, a controller unit 15, and a power supply battery 17. In the example of FIG. 1, the acceleration sensor 13 includes a first acceleration sensor 13a and a second acceleration sensor 13b. The first acceleration sensor 13a and the second acceleration sensor 13b are preferably attached at positions symmetrical with respect to the center of rotation of the wheel. The first acceleration sensor 13a may be one or more. The second acceleration sensor 13b may be one or more. Acceleration sensors are well known. The sensing unit 1 may include various sensing devices in addition to the acceleration sensor 13. Examples of sensing devices include a strain gauge, a thermometer, a speedometer, a magnetometer, and a sound collector (microphone). Sensing devices used in sensing units such as the acceleration sensor 13 are well known, as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-039854, Japanese Patent No. 4503078, and Japanese Patent No. 7292847.

[0015] Power supply battery 17 supplies power to acceleration sensor 13 and controller unit 15. Power supply battery 17 is well known, as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-039854, Japanese Patent No. 4503078, and Japanese Patent No. 7292847. Power supply battery 17 is preferably a rechargeable battery. Alternatively, power supply battery 17 may be charged by the rotation of the wheel.

[0016] The controller unit 15 (hereinafter also referred to as MCU) outputs information based on the sensing information received from the acceleration sensor 13. The MCU 15 outputs the sensing information directly or information obtained by performing various calculations on the sensing information. For example, the MCU 15 may be a small computer. An example of the output unit of the MCU 15 is a wireless transmitter. In this case, the MCU 15 may have a wireless transmission antenna. It is preferable that the centers of gravity of the power supply battery 17 and the MCU 15 are located at the center of rotation of the wheel. This can reduce factors that lead to abnormal wheel rotation.

[0017] The computer has an input unit, an output unit, a control unit, a calculation unit, and a memory unit, and each element is connected by a bus or the like to enable information exchange. For example, a control program or various information may be stored in the memory unit. When predetermined information is input from the input unit, the control unit reads the control program stored in the memory unit. Then, the control unit reads the information stored in the memory unit as appropriate and transmits it to the calculation unit. The control unit also transmits the input information to the calculation unit as appropriate. The calculation unit performs calculation processing using the received various information and stores it in the memory unit. The control unit reads the calculation results stored in the memory unit and outputs them from the output unit. In this manner, various processes and steps are performed. The various units and means execute these various processes. The computer may have a processor, and the processor may realize various functions and steps. The computer may be standalone. Some of the functions of the computer may be distributed between a server and a terminal. In this case, it is preferable that the server and the terminal can exchange information via a network such as the Internet or an intranet. The computer may include a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory may store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computer to perform various processes or function as various elements. The computer may be provided with various training data to build a learning model and perform various calculations through machine learning. In this case, the computer may perform various analyses using the learning model created through machine learning and deep learning of AI (artificial intelligence).

[0018] It is preferable that the controller unit 15 (MCU) transmits sensing information, which is information relating to the first acceleration obtained from the first acceleration sensor 13a and the second acceleration obtained from the second acceleration sensor 13b, to control equipment mounted on a vehicle on which the tire is mounted. The sensing information transmitted to the control equipment is preferably information regarding the difference between the first acceleration and the second acceleration. When the tire is rotating normally, the first acceleration and the second acceleration are the same. Then, when the tire is rotating normally, the difference between the first acceleration and the second acceleration is zero. In this case, the MCU 15 does not output a signal regarding a tire abnormality. The MCU 15 may store a threshold value in the memory unit, compare the absolute value of the first acceleration and the second acceleration with the threshold value, and if the absolute value of the difference between the first acceleration and the second acceleration is greater than the threshold value, the MCU 15 may output a signal regarding a tire abnormality. The threshold value may be multi-level. By performing a comparison operation in this manner, the abnormality detection data can be compressed.

[0019] The controller unit 15 (MCU) and power battery 17 are installed within a first region 21, which is an internal region of a first radius r1 from the center of rotation of the wheel 11. The first region 21 exists within the PCD region of the wheel 11. PCD (Pitch Circle Diameter) is a diameter representation of the distance between a nut hole in a wheel and the center of the wheel. If the distance between the nut wheel and the wheel center is 50 mm, the PCD is 100. The PCD region refers to the inside of a circle connecting the nut wheel. For Japanese-made vehicles, 5-hole 114.3, 4-hole 100, and 5-hole 100 are the most common. Examples of PCDs are 100 or greater and 115. Depending on the vehicle, if a PCD conversion spacer is used, the PCD region of the wheel before using the PCD conversion spacer may be the PCD region referred to in this invention. The first region 21 may be, for example, a circle with a radius equal to the farthest point from the center of the wheel among the MCU 15 and the power supply battery 17 (excluding wiring). An example of r1 is 15 mm or more and 40 mm or less. In this case, the first region is completely included in the PCD region of a wheel for a normal passenger car. Examples of r1 include 10 mm or more and 50 mm or less, 20 mm or more and 40 mm or less, 25 mm or more and 35 mm or less, 15 mm or more and 35 mm or less, 15 mm or more and 30 mm or less, or 20 mm or more and 30 mm or less. A specific example of r1 is 26 mm.

[0020] The acceleration sensor 13 is installed within a second region 23, which is the region from the center of rotation of the wheel 11, from a first radius r1 to a second radius r2. The second region 23 may also be located within the PCD region. r2 / r1 is 1.1 to 4, or 2 to 3.5. An example of r2-r1 is 1.5 mm to 80 mm. The acceleration sensor 13 is preferably located in a region slightly away from the center of the wheel. Installing the sensing device in such a region reduces data saturation. Examples of r2 are 15 mm to 200 mm, 20 mm to 100 mm, 25 mm to 90 mm, 50 mm to 70 mm, or 55 mm to 65 mm. A specific example of r2 is 60 mm.

[0021] The sensing unit 1 is attached to a tire wheel 11. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a wheel equipped with a sensing unit. Furthermore, a tire may be attached to the tire wheel 11. In this manner, the tire wheel 11 and tire equipped with the sensing unit 1 can be obtained. Then, by attaching the tire wheel 11 obtained in this manner to a vehicle, a vehicle equipped with the sensing unit 1 can be obtained.

[0022] A vehicle equipped with the sensing unit 1 is traveling. Then, information regarding a first acceleration obtained from the first acceleration sensor 13a and a second acceleration obtained from the second acceleration sensor 13b is sent to the controller unit 15 (MCU). The MCU 15 causes a calculation unit to perform a calculation to calculate the difference between the first acceleration and the second acceleration. Next, the MCU 15 reads a threshold value from the storage unit and causes the calculation unit to perform a calculation to compare the difference with the threshold value. If the difference is smaller than the threshold value, the MCU 15 does not need to output an abnormality signal. On the other hand, if the difference is larger than the threshold value, the MCU 15 outputs an abnormality signal (sensing information) from the wireless antenna. A receiver capable of receiving the wireless signal output from the wireless antenna of the MCU 15 is installed inside the vehicle. The vehicle is also equipped with an in-vehicle control device capable of performing various calculation processes based on the wireless signal. Examples of in-vehicle control devices include the in-vehicle optical network described in Japanese Patent No. 7053028 and IEEE802.3cz (OMEGA), which will be standardized in 2023. [Industrial Applicability]

[0023] The present invention can be used in the automobile industry and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0024] 1 Sensing Unit 13 Acceleration sensor 15 Controller unit 17 Power battery 21 First Area 23 Second Area

Claims

1. A sensing unit (1), The sensing unit (1) is attached to a tire wheel (11), The sensing unit (1) has an acceleration sensor (13), a controller unit (15), and a power supply battery (17), The power supply battery (17) supplies power to the acceleration sensor (13) and the controller unit (15). The controller unit (15) outputs information based on sensing information received from the acceleration sensor (13), The controller unit (15) and the power supply battery (17) are located at a first radius r from the center of rotation of the wheel (11). １ and the first region (21) is an internal region of the The acceleration sensor (13) is located at a first radius r from the center of rotation of the wheel (11). １ to the second radius r ２ and is installed in a second area (23) which is an area up to The first region (21) is present in the PCD region of the wheel (11), r ２ / r １ is greater than or equal to 1.1 and less than or equal to 4, Sensing unit (1).

2. A sensing unit (1) according to claim 1, r １ is 15 mm or more and 40 mm or less, r ２ -r １ is 1.5 mm or more and 80 mm or less, Sensing unit (1).

3. A sensing unit (1) according to claim 2, r ２ / r １ is greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 3.5, the sensing unit (1).

4. A sensing unit (1) according to claim 3, The acceleration sensor (13) includes a first acceleration sensor (13a) and a second acceleration sensor (13b), The first acceleration sensor (13a) and the second acceleration sensor (13b) are attached at positions symmetrical with respect to the center of rotation of the wheel, The controller unit (15) transmits sensing information, which is information relating to a first acceleration obtained from a first acceleration sensor (13a) and a second acceleration obtained from a second acceleration sensor (13b), to a control device mounted on a vehicle on which the tire is mounted.

5. A sensing unit (1) according to claim 4, The sensing unit (1) wherein the sensing information is information relating to a difference between a first acceleration and a second acceleration.

6. A tire wheel (11) having a sensing unit (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A vehicle having a tire wheel (11) according to claim 6.

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