Method and related system for estimating the international roughness index of road segments

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for estimating an International Roughness Index (IRI) of a road or road segment, comprising a preparatory step (1) and an International Roughness Index estimation step (10). The preparatory step (1) comprises estimating values ​​of the vehicle tire damping and stiffness coefficients (C t , K t ) and (2) collecting known International Roughness Index values ​​or known road profiles (profiles r ) is related to the vehicle vertical acceleration value (Az 車両 ) and the measured vertical acceleration value (Az 車両 (3) collecting vehicle georeference data and speed data indicative of a given constant speed, the speed data being associated with the vehicle georeference data and the vehicle speed.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention generally relates to the automotive and road pavement monitoring sectors. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system and method for estimating the International Roughness Index (IRI). In particular, according to aspects of the present invention, the estimated IRI is determined based on physical quantities relating to the movement of the vehicle, such as vertical acceleration, and physical quantities relating to the vehicle itself, such as the damping and stiffness coefficients of the vehicle's suspension and the tires mounted on the vehicle.

[0002] The present invention may be applied to any type of road vehicle used to transport people, such as passenger cars, buses, and campervans, or to any type of road vehicle used to transport products, such as industrial vehicles (trucks, tractor trailers, etc.) or small or medium-sized commercial vehicles (vans, etc.). Without loss of generality, one or more automobiles equipped with internal combustion engines, such as passenger cars and / or buses and / or trucks and / or motorcycles, and / or hybrid and / or electric vehicles. [Background technology]

[0003] As is well known, road pavements must be designed to ensure a nearly regular and minimally deformable rolling surface to meet safety and comfort requirements for vehicles driven on those roads. In fact, impacts of a vehicle's wheels against / on obstacles (such as potholes or pits) on the road pavement can damage the tire on the wheel, particularly its carcass (i.e., casing). For example, bulging of the tire's sidewall typically indicates that the cords within the carcass have been damaged due to impacts against / on obstacles, as driving over objects such as pits and potholes can damage individual cords. If a damaged tire (e.g., a tire with some cords damaged) is not detected immediately and therefore not repaired / replaced promptly, and the driver continues to drive on the damaged tire, there is a risk of completely damaging / destroying the tire carcass, and further damaging the wheel rim and / or suspension (e.g., if the damaged tire collides with / on other obstacles).

[0004] Recently, periodic monitoring of the regularity / smoothness level of individual roads is occasionally carried out, primarily for the purpose of planning maintenance work. Typically, such monitoring is based on the calculation of the International Roughness Index (IRI), which is the most commonly used roughness index for road pavement irregularity. The IRI is typically obtained by measuring the longitudinal road profile (more specifically, the longitudinal profile of the height of the road pavement), and in particular by using a quarter-car vehicle mathematical model (also known as the quarter-car model (QCM)) or a full-car vehicle mathematical model (also known as the full-car model (FCM)), the response is accumulated, and a roughness index with units of slope (in / m, m / km, etc.) is obtained.

[0005] Unfortunately, IRI measurements are actually quite expensive, making it difficult to implement them on a large scale across entire road networks managed by companies.

[0006] Therefore, in the automotive and road pavement monitoring sectors, there is a clear need for innovative technological solutions that can detect road pavement unevenness more quickly and easily.

[0007] For example, an example of a known solution is disclosed in International Publication No. 2020 / 225699, a patent application disclosing a method and system for recognizing irregularities in road pavement. In particular, International Publication No. 2020 / 225699, a) A preliminary testing step, which is performed sequentially, - A sub-step in which the test is carried out by driving the vehicle at different speeds over different uneven surfaces and / or subjecting the air tires to impacts. - A substep to acquire vertical acceleration during the test (conveniently at a sampling rate of at least 10 Hz), and - A substep to construct at least a first model for relating the standard deviation of vertical acceleration for the tests conducted to the unevenness of the paved road, The preliminary test step includes, b) A real recognition step, which is sequential, - A substep to acquire the aforementioned vertical acceleration (conveniently at a sampling rate of at least 10 Hz), - A substep for performing high-pass filtering of vertical acceleration, preferably with a minimum filtering threshold of 0.1 Hz or less in the high-pass filter, and the high-pass filtering substep is performed on a reference area of ​​a paved road of variable length having a linear length of 2 to 25 meters, preferably 5 to 10 meters. - A substep in which the vertical acceleration is processed by the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), - A substep of calculating the standard deviation of the processed vertical acceleration by FFT at a relevant frequency, wherein the relevant frequency preferably has a first vibration frequency range of the automobile suspension system, which is 1.5 Hz to 3 Hz, and - A substep that recognizes the presence and dimensions of irregularities in the paved road based on a comparison between the first model and the standard deviation of vertical acceleration processed by FFT at the relevant frequency. The fact recognition step includes, It relates to a method that includes [a certain feature].

[0008] According to International Publication No. 2020 / 225699, the relevant frequencies conveniently include a second vibration frequency range of the automobile chassis, step b) conveniently includes a substep of acquiring information regarding the vehicle position by GPS signals, and a substep of positioning any irregularities based on the vehicle position, and step a) conveniently includes a substep of carrying out the test by running and / or subjecting different types of tires on different types of automobiles to impact, and a substep of constructing a number of models to associate the standard deviation of the vertical acceleration with the tire type and / or automobile.

[0009] In addition, according to International Publication No. 2020 / 225699, step a) preferably comprises the following substeps, namely, - A substep in which, during the test being performed, the wheel speed and the vehicle speed are obtained, and the normalized wheel speed for the test being performed is calculated by the ratio between the vehicle's wheel speed and the corresponding vehicle speed, and - A substep to construct at least one second model to relate the standard deviation of the normalized wheel speed to the unevenness of the paved road. This also includes.

[0010] Finally, according to International Publication No. 2020 / 225699, step b) preferably comprises the following substeps, namely, - A substep to obtain the steering angle of the wheel of the aforementioned automobile, - A substep in which the steering angle of the vehicle's wheel is obtained by FFT, - A substep of determining a minimum threshold within the frequency components of the steering angle in the wheel processed by the FFT, - Substep to obtain the wheel speed, - A substep to obtain the speed of the vehicle, - A substep of calculating the normalized wheel speed by the ratio between the wheel speed and the corresponding speed of the vehicle, - A substep in which high-pass filtering of the wheel speed or the normalized wheel speed is performed by applying the minimum threshold, - A substep to calculate the standard deviation of the normalized wheel speed, Includes, The substep of recognizing the presence of irregularities in the paved road conveniently includes using both the first model and the standard deviation of vertical acceleration processed by FFT at the relevant frequency, and the second model and the standard deviation of the normalized wheel speed. [Overview of the project]

[0011] Considering the above, the applicant felt the need to conduct a thorough investigation in order to attempt to develop an innovative technological solution that would enable the quantification of road pavement roughness, particularly the estimation of IRI, that is easier to implement and can be performed more frequently than conventional IRI measurements, and is generally faster and simpler, which led to the present invention.

[0012] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a technical solution that is easier to implement and can be performed more frequently than conventional IRI measurements, and that generally enables faster and simpler quantification of road pavement roughness, particularly estimation of IRI, etc.

[0013] The present and other objectives are achieved by the present invention because the invention relates to a system and method for estimating IRI, as defined in the appended claims.

[0014] To better understand the present invention, preferred embodiments, intended merely as non-limiting examples, will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings (not all to scale). [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This figure schematically shows the preparation steps of an IRI estimation method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure schematically shows the IRI estimation step of an IRI estimation method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This diagram schematically illustrates one step of the preparation process for determining parameters for a vehicle. [Figure 4] This figure schematically shows the trends in vertical acceleration values ​​for different road profiles. [Figure 5] This diagram schematically illustrates one step of the preparation process for activating parameters for a vehicle. [Figure 6] This figure schematically shows a plot illustrating the relationship between the root mean square values ​​of the vertical acceleration values ​​of each vehicle, obtained according to the actual road profile and the digitized road profile. [Figure 7] This figure schematically shows a plot relating IRI values ​​to the root mean square values ​​of vehicle vertical acceleration values ​​at different constant vehicle speeds. [Figure 8] This figure schematically illustrates a preferred embodiment of the IRI estimation system. [Figure 9] This figure schematically illustrates a preferred embodiment of the IRI estimation system. [Figure 10] This figure schematically illustrates a preferred embodiment of the IRI estimation system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art may prepare and use it. Various modifications of the embodiments described will be immediately apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles described are applicable to other embodiments and uses without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Therefore, the present invention should not be considered limited to the embodiments described and shown herein, but rather should be given the broadest scope of protection consistent with the described and claimed features.

[0017] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as those commonly used by persons with ordinary experience in the art relating to the present invention. In the event of any conflict, this description, including the definitions provided, shall be binding. Furthermore, the examples are provided for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered limiting.

[0018] In particular, the block diagrams included in the attached drawings and described below are not intended to represent structural characteristics or structural limitations, but rather to represent functional characteristics, i.e., inherent characteristics of the device, and must be defined by the resulting effects or functional constraints, which can be implemented in various ways, in order to protect the functionality (potential to function) of the device.

[0019] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments described herein, several specific embodiments are mentioned, and specific language is used to describe them. The terminology used herein is intended to describe only specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0020] The present invention relates, in particular, to a method for estimating the International Roughness Index (IRI) in relation to physical quantities relating to the motion of a vehicle, such as vertical acceleration, and physical quantities relating to the vehicle itself, such as the damping and stiffness coefficients of the vehicle's suspension and tires mounted on the vehicle.

[0021] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the method according to the present invention includes a preparation step 1 and an IRI estimation step 10. Further, hereinafter, reference is made to motor vehicles equipped with an internal combustion engine, such as one or more passenger cars and / or buses and / or trucks and / or motorcycles, and / or hybrid and / or electric motor vehicles.

[0022] Specifically, FIG. 1 schematically shows the preparation step 1 of the method for estimating the IRI according to the present invention. Specifically, the preparation step 1 includes - collecting values C t , K t of the vehicle tire damping and stiffness coefficients of one or more tires (not shown) of one or more motor vehicles (block 2); - a) a first vehicle vertical acceleration value Az measured by one or more motor vehicles driven at one or more given constant speeds along one or more roads or road segments associated with a known international roughness index value or a known first road profile, profile r ; 車両 and b) first vehicle geodifference data associated with the measured first vertical acceleration value Az 車両 ; c) first vehicle speed data indicating a given constant speed associated with the measured first vertical acceleration value Az 車両 and collecting them (block 3); - determining a second road profile, profile t , K t based on the first vehicle tire damping and stiffness coefficient values C, the first vehicle geodifference data, the first vehicle speed data, and the first vehicle vertical acceleration value Az 車両 (block 4) d and including.

[0023] The preparation step 1 further includes - a second vehicle vertical acceleration value Az based on the second road profile, profile d 出力-f(c,k), second vertical acceleration value Az 出力 - Second vehicle georeferencing data of f(c,k), measured first vertical acceleration value Az 車両 A second vehicle speed data representing a given constant speed, and the values ​​of the vehicle tire damping and stiffness coefficient C. t , K t To determine (Block 5), - The values ​​of the damping and stiffness coefficients C of the vehicle suspension for one or more suspensions of one or more vehicles. s , K s To determine (Block 6), - First and second vehicle vertical acceleration values ​​Az 車両 , Az 出力 Determine the first and second root mean square values ​​of -f(c,k) respectively (Block 7), - Known international roughness index values ​​or first road profile, profile r , the second vehicle vertical acceleration value Az 出力 Based on the second root mean square value of -f(c,k), the second vehicle georeferencing data, and the second vehicle speed data, the second vehicle vertical acceleration value Az is calculated. 出力 Determine one or more vehicle transfer functions that are mathematically related to the second root mean square value of f(c,k) and the international roughness index value at a given constant speed (Block 8) It also includes.

[0024] Figure 2 schematically shows the IRI estimation step 10 of the IRI estimation method according to the present invention. In particular, the IRI estimation step 10 is - Obtaining a third vehicle vertical acceleration value Az measured by a given vehicle driven at a certain driving speed on a given road or road segment, third vehicle georeferencing data associated with the third vehicle vertical acceleration value Az, and third vehicle speed data indicating a given driving speed of the vehicle (block 11), - Calculate the third root mean square value of the third vehicle vertical acceleration value Az (block 12), - Estimate the International Roughness Index (IRI) value of a given road or road segment based on one or more vehicle transfer functions determined in preparation step 1, as well as the third root mean square value of the third vehicle vertical acceleration value Az and associated third vehicle georeferencing data and third vehicle speed data (block 13) Includes.

[0025] According to an aspect of the present invention, the third vehicle georeferencing data of a given automobile is, that is, data indicating the 2D / 3D position of the given automobile, for example, GPS position.

[0026] According to an aspect of the present invention, the first vehicle vertical acceleration value Az 車両 The first vehicle georeferencing data and the first vehicle speed data are international roughness index values ​​or the first road profile, profile r For one or more vehicles of identical given vehicle type and / or identical given vehicle model, which are known to be driven at one or more given constant speeds along one or more roads or road segments, the data collected in steps a), b), and c) are collected. Furthermore, a second road profile, profile d This is specific to the given vehicle type and / or model.

[0027] According to another aspect of the present invention, the first vehicle vertical acceleration value Az 車両 The first vehicle georeferencing data and the first vehicle speed data are collected in steps a), b), and c) for each of one or more vehicles of different given vehicle types and / or different given vehicle models. Furthermore, the second road profile, profile d This is specific to each of the given vehicle types and / or models.

[0028] Therefore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the international roughness index value is estimated by using a vehicle transfer function specific to a given vehicle type / model of automobile determined in preparation step 1 (block 13).

[0029] Referring again to Figure 1, in preparation step 1, the damping and stiffness coefficient C of the vehicle tire t , K t This is determined through tire tests, such as specialized deflection tests.

[0030] Furthermore, according to an aspect of the present invention, the first vehicle vertical acceleration value Az 車両 Step (block 3) of collecting first vehicle georeferencing data and first vehicle speed data includes vehicle telemetry data acquisition, where the vehicle acquires first vehicle vertical acceleration value Az at a predetermined acquisition frequency. 車両 The system conveniently includes a data logger unit that acquires first vehicle georeferencing data as the vehicle's GPS position. Furthermore, the telemetry data is automatically transmitted to a remote computing system (e.g., a cloud computing system) via a wireless connection (e.g., based on 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G cellular technology). In particular, the acquisition frequency for the first vehicle georeferencing data is greater than, for example, 1 Hz. Furthermore, the system also includes the first vehicle vertical acceleration value Az. 車両 To determine this, the vehicle has a known shape (i.e., for example, a first road profile, profile r It is driven at low speeds (e.g., 40 km / h or less) through a depression (according to the formula). More specifically, the first vehicle vertical acceleration value Az 車両 The acquisition frequency is 10 Hz or higher. Additionally, a predetermined period (e.g., 3 months) is conveniently considered for vehicle telemetry data acquisition, and this predetermined period preferably includes data from IRI value measurements.

[0031] According to an aspect of the present invention, in preparation step 1, the IRI value related to the road corresponds to the first road profile, profile r The first road profile, profile r, is determined according to the standard procedure. For example, the first road profile, profile rThis is determined by interpolating a previously measured value of vertical acceleration, which is determined according to certain conditions specific to a given vehicle type / model (e.g., low speed and a predetermined acquisition frequency).

[0032] According to a further aspect of the present invention, GPS is used to position the vehicle on the road where the measurement is to be performed in either preparation step 1 or IRI estimation step 10.

[0033] Referring to Figure 1, in preparation step 1, the second vehicle vertical acceleration value Az 出力 The step of determining -f(c,k) (block 5) is, - Values ​​C for vehicle tire damping and stiffness coefficient t , K t When input is made by this, the second road profile, profile d The fourth vehicle vertical acceleration value Az is the acceleration value output by this process. 出力 and, - The vehicle vertical acceleration function f(c,k) is determined by the parameters c and k, and This includes determining that.

[0034] In particular, parameters c and k are the vehicle suspension damping and stiffness coefficient values ​​for one or more suspensions (not shown) of the vehicle under consideration. Thus, the second road profile (which is the value of the vehicle vertical acceleration), profile d The output is directly determined by the vehicle suspension damping and stiffness coefficient values ​​c, k of one or more suspensions of the vehicle under consideration.

[0035] Referring to Figure 3, the values ​​of vehicle suspension damping and stiffness coefficient C for one or more suspensions of one or more vehicles. s , K s The step to determine this (block 6) is: - Second road profile, profile d Regarding the suspension damping and stiffness coefficient values ​​c0 and k0 for the test vehicle suspension input to the vehicle, Az出力 -f(c0,k0), also known as the corresponding second vehicle vertical acceleration value Az 出力 Determining -f(c,k) (block 21), - Second vehicle vertical acceleration value Az 出力 The second acceleration profile generated from -f(c0, k0) is the first vehicle vertical acceleration value Az 車両 Check if it matches the first acceleration profile generated from (block 22) Includes.

[0036] Furthermore, the values ​​C of the vehicle suspension damping and stiffness coefficient for one or more suspensions of one or more vehicles. s , K s The step to determine this (block 6) is: - Second vehicle vertical acceleration value Az 出力 - The second acceleration profile generated from f(c0, k0) is the first vehicle vertical acceleration value Az 車両 If the first acceleration profile generated from the vehicle matches the test vehicle damping and stiffness coefficient values ​​c0, k0 of the vehicle's suspension, then the vehicle suspension damping and stiffness coefficient C s , K s To determine that (block 23), or - Second vehicle vertical acceleration value Az 出力 - The second acceleration profile generated from f(c0, k0) is the first vehicle vertical acceleration value Az 車両 If the first acceleration profile generated does not match, determine new values ​​for the suspension damping and stiffness coefficients c0 and k0 for the test vehicle (block 24). It also includes.

[0037] Accordingly, according to an aspect of the present invention, the determination step (block 21) and the confirmation step (block 22) are performed if the test vehicle damping and stiffness coefficient values ​​c0 and k0 of the vehicle suspension satisfy the requirements of the confirmation step (block 22), and therefore the vehicle suspension damping and stiffness coefficient C s , K sThis is repeated until it can be defined as such.

[0038] At the end of the determination step (block 6), the values ​​of the vehicle suspension damping and stiffness coefficient C for one or more suspensions of one or more vehicles are determined. s , K s This is the second road profile, profile d This is determined to be the output.

[0039] Figure 4 shows the first and second vehicle vertical acceleration values ​​Az. 車両 , Az 出力 Examples of the first and second acceleration profiles generated from -f(c,k) are schematically shown, where c and k are the damping and stiffness coefficient values ​​of the vehicle suspension C. s , K s It is equal to.

[0040] Furthermore, referring to Figure 5, in preparation step 1, the first and second vehicle vertical acceleration values ​​Az 車両 , Az 出力 The step (block 7) of determining the first and second root mean square values ​​of -f(c,k) is: - First road profile, profile r Based on this, for a vehicle driven on a known road at different known speeds, the first vehicle vertical acceleration value Az 車両 Calculate the first root mean square value of (block 31), - Second road profile, profile d Vehicle suspension damping and stiffness coefficient values ​​C s , K s Based on this, for cars driven on the same known road at the same known different speeds, the second vehicle vertical acceleration value Az 出力 Determine the second root mean square value of -f(c,k) (Block 32), -Hereafter, Az 出力 -f(C s , K s The second vehicle vertical acceleration value Az, also known as ). 出力For the second root mean square value of -f(c, k), the first vehicle vertical acceleration value Az 車両 plots the first root mean square value (block 33), thereby checking whether the second road profile, profile d matches well enough with the result of the first road profile, profile r and includes

[0041] Specifically, the plotting step (block 33) plots the first root mean square value of the first vehicle vertical acceleration value Az 出力 -f(C s , K s ) against the second root mean square value of -f(C 車両 , K 出力 ). Figure 6 shows the plot obtained through the plotting step (block 33) that plots the first root mean square value of the first vehicle vertical acceleration value Az s , K s ) filtered at 1.5 Hz against the second root mean square value of -f(C 車両 , K

[0042] Furthermore, in preparation step 1, determining (block 8) one or more vehicle transfer functions mathematically related to the second root mean square value of the second vehicle vertical acceleration value Az r -f(c, k), the first road profile, profile 出力 , the second vehicle vertical acceleration value Az 出力 -f(c, k), the second vehicle gyroreference data, and the second vehicle speed data, and the international roughness index value at a given constant speed, based on the known international roughness index value or the first road profile, profile 出力 -f(C s , K sincluding identifying the relevant mathematical correlation between the second RMSVA of JPEG0007894390000001.jpg733 is determined. In this regard, FIG. 7 shows, at different constant vehicle speeds an example of a graph of JPEG0007894390000002.jpg719, where the IRI values at different constant vehicle speeds are plotted, and the second vehicle vertical acceleration value Az 出力 -f(C s K s ) and the second RMSVA determined therefrom are plotted. In particular, the example of the transfer function shown in FIG. 7 is as follows: JPEG0007894390000003.jpg13108 where JPEG0007894390000004.jpg72 refers to the vehicle speed.

[0043] Referring again to FIG. 2, in the IRI estimation step 10 and with respect to the third vehicle vertical acceleration value Az, based on one or more vehicle transfer functions determined in the preparation step 1, and the third root mean square value of the third vehicle vertical acceleration value Az and the associated third vehicle gyrorefence data and third vehicle speed data, the step of estimating the international roughness index value of a given road or road segment (block 13) is performed by performing an inverse calculation. In fact, in the preparation step 1, once at least one transfer function is determined, the third root mean square value determined from the third vehicle vertical acceleration value Az, and the driving speed of a given vehicle on a general road JPEG0007894390000005.jpg72 is known, and it is possible to calculate the estimated IRI value.

[0044] The present invention also relates to a system designed to execute the above IRI estimation method. In this regard, FIG. 8 schematically shows the functional structure of an IRI estimation system 50 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, using a block diagram.

[0045] In particular, the IRI estimation system 50 is - It is mounted on a vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine, such as a passenger car, bus, truck, or motorcycle, or a hybrid / electric vehicle (not shown in Figure 8), - Connected to the vehicle bus 60 of the vehicle (for example, based on a standard controller area network, CAN, or bus), - The vehicle bus 60 is configured to acquire vehicle vertical acceleration, vehicle georeferencing, and speed data. It is equipped with an acquisition device 51.

[0046] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each acquisition device 51 is - Perform preparation step 1 and obtain the first and second vehicle vertical acceleration values ​​Az from each vehicle bus 60 of the vehicle. 車両 , Az 出力 -f(c,k) and each vehicle used to acquire the first and second vehicle georeferences and the first and second vehicle speed data, - From each of the given vehicles, bus 60, a third vehicle vertical acceleration value Az, as well as third vehicle georeferencing and velocity data are obtained for each given vehicle in the IRI estimation step 10. It is mounted and installed in the vehicle.

[0047] Additionally, the IRI estimation system 50 is connected to an acquisition device 51 by wire or wirelessly, from which first, second, and third vehicle vertical acceleration values ​​Az are obtained. 車両 , Az 出力 -Receive f(c,k), Az, and the first, second, and third vehicle georeferences and the first, second, and third vehicle speed data, - The first and second root mean square values ​​Az 車両 , Az 出力 Calculate -f(c,k) and determine the vehicle transfer function (block 8), and - Calculate the third root mean square value and estimate the IRI value (Block 13) It further comprises a processing means 52 programmed to do so.

[0048] Figures 9 and 10 schematically show further preferred embodiments for implementing the processing means 52 of the system 50 in Figure 8.

[0049] Referring in particular to Figure 9, in a first preferred embodiment (shown as 70 overall), the processing means 52 is implemented / executed using a cloud computing system 72 that is wirelessly and remotely connected to the acquisition device 51 (e.g., via one or more cellular technologies such as GSM, GPRS, EDGE, HSPA, UMTS, LTE, LTE Advanced, 5G) and conveniently used to perform both preparation step 1 and IRI estimation step 10.

[0050] Alternatively, referring to Figure 10, in a second preferred embodiment (shown as 100 overall), the processing means 52 is implemented / executed using an (automotive) electronic control unit (ECU) 102 mounted on the automobile 110, where the ECU 102 may conveniently be an ECU dedicated in particular to IRI estimation, or an ECU dedicated to several tasks including IRI estimation.

[0051] Preferably, the cloud computing system 72 is used to perform preparation step 1, while the ECU 102 is used to perform IRI estimation step 10. In particular, each ECU 102 can be conveniently mounted on each given vehicle 110 involved in IRI estimation step 10, which acquires a second vehicle vertical acceleration value and second vehicle georeferencing and velocity data from its respective acquisition device 51.

[0052] From the above, the technical advantages and innovative features of the present invention will be immediately apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0053] In particular, this method makes it possible to measure ready IRI values ​​on a driven road at a higher frequency than the usual general methods used in road measurement procedures, by utilizing the vehicle's vertical acceleration value at a given constant speed.

[0054] Furthermore, this method has a broader, more frequent measurement network, allowing road management companies to prioritize more accurate measurements in specific road segments.

[0055] Additionally, this method enables faster and simpler quantification of road pavement roughness, particularly estimation of IRI, and the present invention is easier to implement and can be performed more frequently than conventional IRI measurements.

[0056] Finally, it is clear that numerous modifications and variations can be made to the present invention, which fall within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for estimating the International Roughness Index (IRI) of a road or road segment, comprising a preparation step (1) and an International Roughness Index estimation step (10), The aforementioned preparation step (1) is, - The values ​​of the damping and stiffness coefficients of the vehicle tires of one or more tires of one or more automobiles (C ｔ _K ｔ (2) collecting, - a) Known international roughness index value or known first road profile (profile ｒ A first vehicle vertical acceleration value (Az) measured in one or more vehicles driven at a given constant speed along one or more roads or road segments, relating to ) 車両 )and, b) The measured first vertical acceleration value (Az 車両 ) and related first vehicle georeferencing data, c) The measured first vertical acceleration value (Az 車両 ) and a first vehicle speed data showing a given constant speed related to (3) Collecting and - The values of the vehicle tire damping and stiffness coefficients (C ｔ , K ｔ ), the first vehicle geodifference data, the first vehicle speed data, and the first vehicle vertical acceleration value (Az 車両 ), determining a second road profile (profile ｄ ) (4); and Includes, The aforementioned preparation step (1) is, - The second road profile (profile) ｄ The second vehicle vertical acceleration value (Az) is based on ) 出力 -f(c,k)), the second vertical acceleration value (Az 出力 -f(c,k)) second vehicle georeferencing data, the measured first vertical acceleration value (Az 出力 -f(c,k)) and a second vehicle speed data representing the given constant speed, and the values ​​of the vehicle tire damping and stiffness coefficient (C ｔ _K ｔ (5) Determining that, - The values ​​of the damping and stiffness coefficients of the vehicle suspension of one or more suspensions of one or more vehicles (C ｓ _K ｓ (6) to determine, - The first and second vehicle vertical acceleration values ​​(Az 車両 , Az 出力 (7) Determine the first and second root mean square values ​​of -f(c,k) - The known international roughness index value or the first road profile (profile) ｒ ), the second vehicle vertical acceleration value (Az 出力 Based on the second root mean square value of -f(c,k), the second vehicle georeferencing data, and the second vehicle speed data, the second vehicle vertical acceleration value (Az 出力 (8) Determining one or more vehicle transfer functions that are mathematically related to the second root mean square value of -f(c,k) and the international roughness index value at a given constant speed. It further includes, The aforementioned international roughness index estimation step (10) is: - To obtain a third vehicle vertical acceleration value (Az) measured by a given vehicle driven at a certain driving speed on a given road or road segment, a third vehicle georeferencing data associated with the third vehicle vertical acceleration value (Az), and a third vehicle speed data indicating the given driving speed of the vehicle (11), - Calculate the third root mean square value of the third vehicle vertical acceleration value (Az) (12), - Estimate the international roughness index value of the given road or road segment based on one or more vehicle transfer functions determined in the preparation step (1), the third root mean square value of the third vehicle vertical acceleration value (Az), the associated third vehicle georeferencing data, and the third vehicle speed data (13) Methods that include...

2. The first vehicle vertical acceleration value (Az 車両 ), the first vehicle georeferencing data and the first vehicle speed data are known international roughness index values ​​or the first road profile (profile ｒ For one or more vehicles of identical given vehicle type and / or identical given vehicle model, driven at one or more given constant speeds along one or more roads or road segments related to, the data collected in steps a), b), and c) The second road profile (profile) ｄ A method for estimating the international roughness index according to claim 1, wherein the given vehicle type and / or model is specific to the given vehicle type and / or model.

3. The first vehicle vertical acceleration value (Az 車両 The first vehicle georeferencing data and the first vehicle speed data are collected in steps a), b), and c) for each of one or more automobiles of different given vehicle types and / or different given vehicle models. The second road profile (profile) ｄ A method for estimating the international roughness index according to claim 1, wherein the given vehicle type and / or model is specific to each of the aforementioned given vehicle types and / or models.

4. The method for estimating the international roughness index according to claim 2, wherein the international roughness index value is estimated by using a vehicle transfer function specific to the vehicle type / model of the given automobile determined in the preparation step (1) (13).

5. The values ​​of the damping and stiffness coefficients of the vehicle suspension of the one or more suspensions of the one or more vehicles (C ｓ _K ｓ Step (6) to determine ) is, - The second road profile (profile) ｄ The damping and stiffness coefficient values ​​of the suspension of the vehicle, which are input to the test vehicle (c ０ , k ０ Regarding the corresponding second vehicle vertical acceleration value (Az 出力 -f(c ０ , k ０ )) to determine (21), - The second vehicle vertical acceleration value (Az) 出力 -f(c ０ , k ０ The second acceleration profile generated from the first vehicle vertical acceleration value (Az 車両 (22) To check whether it matches the first acceleration profile generated from ) Includes, The values ​​of the damping and stiffness coefficients of the vehicle suspension of the one or more suspensions of the one or more vehicles (C ｓ _K ｓ Step (6) to determine ) is, - The second vehicle vertical acceleration value (Az) 出力 -f(c ０ , k ０ The second acceleration profile generated from the first vehicle vertical acceleration value (Az 車両 If it matches the first acceleration profile generated from the vehicle, the test vehicle damping and stiffness coefficient values ​​(c) of the vehicle's suspension. ０ , k ０ ) is the damping and stiffness coefficient (C) of the vehicle suspension. ｓ _K ｓ ) to determine that (23), - The second vehicle vertical acceleration value (Az) 出力 -f(c ０ , k ０ The second acceleration profile generated from the first vehicle vertical acceleration value (Az 車両 If it does not match the first acceleration profile generated from the test vehicle suspension damping and stiffness coefficient values ​​(c ０ , k ０ (24) Determine the new value of ) A method for estimating the international roughness index according to claim 1, further comprising:

6. The first and second vehicle vertical acceleration values ​​(Az 車両 , Az 出力 Step (7) of determining the first and second root mean square values ​​of -f(c,k) is, - The first road profile (profile) ｒ Based on this, for an automobile driven on a known road at different known speeds, the first vehicle vertical acceleration value (Az 車両 Calculate the first root mean square value of ) (31), - The second road profile (profile) ｄ ), the damping and stiffness coefficient values ​​of the vehicle suspension (C ｓ _K ｓ Based on this, for vehicles driven on the same known road at the same known different speeds, the second vehicle vertical acceleration value (Az) 出力 Determining the second root mean square value of -f(c,k) (32), - The second vehicle vertical acceleration value (Az) 出力 -f(C ｓ _K ｓ With respect to the second root mean square value of )), the first vehicle vertical acceleration value (Az 車両 The first root mean square value of ) is plotted (33), thereby the second road profile (profile ｄ ) is the first road profile (profile ｒ To confirm whether the results match well enough to the results of the other tests. A method for estimating the international roughness index according to claim 1, including the following:

7. A system for estimating the International Roughness Index (50, 70, 100), designed to perform the method for estimating the International Roughness Index described in claim 1.

8. - For each automobile (90, 110) used to perform the preparation step (1) of the method for estimating the international roughness index, - Mounted on the aforementioned automobile (90, 110), - Each of the aforementioned automobiles (90, 110) is coupled with a vehicle bus (60), - The system is configured to acquire vehicle vertical acceleration, vehicle georeferencing, and speed data from each of the aforementioned vehicle buses (60). Each of the first acquisition devices (51) and - For each given automobile (90, 110) relating to the international roughness index estimation step (10) of the method for estimating the international roughness index, - Mounted on the aforementioned given automobile (90, 110), - Each of the given automobiles (90, 110) is coupled to a vehicle bus (60), - The system is configured to acquire the third vehicle vertical acceleration value (Az), the third vehicle georeference, and the third speed data from each of the vehicle buses (60). Each second acquisition device (51) and - Connected to the first and second acquisition devices (51), and the first, second and third vehicle vertical acceleration values ​​(Az) are transmitted from the first and second acquisition devices (51). 車両 , Az 出力 -f(c,k), Az), receiving the first, second and third vehicle georeferences and the first, second and third vehicle speed data, - Calculate the root mean square values ​​of the first and second values, and determine the vehicle transfer function. - Calculate the third root mean square value and estimate the international roughness index value. It is configured to Processing means (52) and A system for estimating the international roughness index according to claim 7, including the following:

9. The system for estimating the International Roughness Index according to claim 8, wherein the processing means (52) includes a cloud computing system (72) that is remotely connected to the acquisition device (51) and used to perform both the preparation step (1) and the International Roughness Index estimation step (10).

10. The processing means (52) is - A cloud computing system (72) is remotely connected to the first acquisition device (51) and configured to perform the preparation step (10), - For each given automobile (90, 110) involved in the International Roughness Index estimation step (10), each electronic control unit (102) is mounted on the given automobile (90, 110), connected to each of the second acquisition devices (51), and configured to perform the International Roughness Index estimation step (10). A system for estimating the international roughness index according to claim 8, including the following:

11. A cloud computing system (72) configured to perform both the preparation step (1) and the international roughness index estimation step (10) of the method for estimating the international roughness index according to any one of claims 1 to 6, or only the preparation step (1).

12. An electronic control unit (102) designed to be mounted in an automobile (90, 110) and configured to perform the international roughness index estimation step (10) of the method for estimating the international roughness index according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

13. - Loadable into processing means (52, 72, 102), - When loaded, the processing means (52, 72, 102) is configured to perform the preparation step (1) and / or the international roughness index estimation step (10) of the method for estimating the international roughness index according to any one of claims 1 to 6. A computer program product comprising one or more software and / or firmware code sections.

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