Active tire pressure control system

Abstract

The invention relates to an active pressure control system that extends tire life by adjusting the optimum tire pressure according to the instantaneous load on each tire and improves vehicle driving dynamics, fuel efficiency, and range The invention particularly relates to a control unit (70) which, based on data from ABS sensors (40) and brake / park data (100), determines which tire (90) is skidding or experiencing traction loss or skidding due to panic braking; calculates the load per tire and required pressure from data received via suspension height sensors (50); reduces the required parking brake torque by lowering tire pressures via the central tire inflation manifold (80) when the vehicle is on a steep incline based on gyroscope sensor (10), vehicle speed data (30), and brake / park data (100); adjusts the tire pressures for floating operation and disables the active pressure system based on camera (60) input or swim mode data (20); and automatically adjusts the tire pressure to the most suitable terrain level (mud, snow, gravel, tarmac) without driver selection using vehicle speed (30) and camera data (60).

Description

[0001] ACTIVE TIRE PRESSURE CONTROL SYSTEM

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The invention relates to an active pressure control system which automatically adjusts the optimum tire pressure based on the instantaneous load per tire depending on the driving condition, vehicle weight, and usage scenario, thereby extending the tire lifespan, improving the vehicle's driving dynamics, fuel efficiency, and driving range, and enhancing the performance of amphibious vehicles on both land and water. The invention particularly relates to an active pressure control system comprising a control unit which, based on data from ABS sensors and service brake information, determines which tire is skidding and whether the tire has lost traction or is skidding due to panic braking; calculates the load per tire and necessary tire pressure based on data from sensors measuring suspension height; reduces the required parking brake torque on steep slopes by reducing tire pressure via the central tire inflation manifold based on data from the gyroscope sensor, vehicle speed, and the parking brake; adjusts the tire pressure to a level suitable for floating operation based on a signal from the camera or when the vehicle is switched to swim mode, and disables the active pressure control system during floating; and automatically adjusts the tire pressure according to the most suitable driving scenario (mud, snow, gravel, tarmac) using vehicle speed and data from the camera without requiring driver input, thus optimizing tire pressure according to ground conditions.

[0004] STATE OF THE ART

[0005] The Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS) currently used in many military vehicles typically includes three different road modes (empty, semi-loaded, fully loaded) and adjusts tire pressure according to the selected mode. Additionally, pre-defined modes for road conditions (such as tarmac, off-road, mud, emergency) enable the driver to adjust tire pressures incrementally according to selected modes. However, since the system relies on the driver's experience to select the appropriate mode, its efficiency varies depending on the proficiency of the driver.

[0006] In the current technology, tire pressure is controlled based on pressure stages corresponding to modes previously determined by the vehicle manufacturer. However, different loads and / or load distributions from those anticipated by the manufacturer alter the optimal tire pressure values required by the vehicle. Therefore, vehicles loaded differently from the pre-defined modes require different tire pressures. When the optimum tire pressure is not achieved, the tire life and range are reduced, and fuel efficiency decreases.

[0007] Tire pressure is determined primarily with a focus on tire longevity and vehicle range. In panic braking situations, the ABS system prevents skidding; however, changes in the contact surface area between the tire and the ground due to suboptimal tire pressure reduce grip and fuel efficiency, thereby shortening tire life. Maintaining optimum tire pressure improves tire grip and braking distance and enhances fuel efficiency. Hence, keeping the tires at their optimum pressure is of great importance. In cases where traction loss is anticipated, reducing tire pressure was previously enabled by driver input; however, maintaining reduced pressure continuously without actual traction loss shortens tire life. Conversely, using high tire pressures can also result in traction loss.

[0008] In the current technique, load per tire is only adjusted across three levels. However, transitions between these levels vary depending on the driver's experience, which affects the efficiency of the system. Therefore, a need arises for a system that can efficiently operate and automatically adjust tire pressures based on various dynamic parameters. Furthermore, in amphibious operations or when traversing water, the current system does not automatically detect the operation, requiring the driver to manually disable the system beforehand. This is prone to driver error. Additionally, if the driver selects a mud / sand mode and fails to reset to high pressure before floating, the reduced tire volume lowers the vehicle's freeboard, thus deteriorating amphibious performance. As a result, the need for a new, economical, practical, and user-friendly pressure control system arises to solve the problems mentioned above, rendering the development of such a system essential in the relevant technical field due to the insufficiencies of existing solutions.

[0009] OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention aims to eliminate the disadvantages discussed above and introduce new advantages to the relevant technical field by providing an active pressure control system that automatically adjusts tire pressures based on vehicle weight and usage scenarios, improving driving dynamics, fuel efficiency, and driving range. The main objective of the invention is to automatically and continuously adjust tire pressure without discrete steps based on the load per tire, communicated via vehicle height sensors. It calculates the most accurate pressure for each tire based on different vehicle loads and / or load distributions, thereby maintaining optimal tire pressure, extending tire life and driving range, improving fuel efficiency, ensuring ideal driving safety, and enhancing the vehicle's dynamic features.

[0011] Another key objective of the invention is to detect tire skidding from ABS sensor signals during panic braking and adjust the tire to its calculated optimum pressure, ensuring ABS operation and improving braking performance by preventing tire slippage. Another important goal is to improve lateral slope performance and stability in scenarios involving high side inclination and low speed by adjusting the tire pressures as necessary using data communicated from the gyroscope sensor, thereby increasing maximum slope capacity.

[0012] Another purpose of the invention is to improve off-road performance by instantly adjusting the pressure of the tire that has lost traction based on ABS sensor data to recover grip.

[0013] Another significant objective is to interlock with vehicle cameras and prevent scenarios wherein the driver forgets to disable the system before floating operations by automatically shutting down the system prior to deep-water crossing or while floating. Another purpose is to utilize vehicle speed and camera data to automatically determine the most suitable tire pressure for the current driving and ground conditions without requiring driver input, eliminating potential driver errors.

[0014] Another aim is to increase the freeboard during floating operations by inflating the tires to the maximum pressure permitted by the system and the tires when the vehicle is switched to float mode, thereby improving floating performance.

[0015] Another goal is to use inclination data from at least one onboard gyroscope sensor along with the vehicle's speed data to automatically reduce tire pressure by a predefined amount when the vehicle is parked, reducing the need for brake torque. In the case of lateral inclination, it also adjusts tire pressures to lower the center of gravity and reduce tipping moment, maximizing lateral inclination capacity.

[0016] The structural and characteristic features and all advantages of the invention will be more clearly understood from the following figures and the detailed description which makes references to these figures, and as such, all evaluations should consider these figures and detailed explanation. DRAWINGS TO HELP UNDERSTAND THE INVENTION

[0017] FIGURE 1: Block diagram of the active tire pressure control system according to the invention.

[0018] REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0019] 10. Gyroscope sensor

[0020] 20. Swim mode data

[0021] 30. Vehicle speed data

[0022] 40. ABS sensor

[0023] 50. Height sensor

[0024] 60. Camera

[0025] 70. Control unit

[0026] 80. Tire inflation manifold

[0027] 90. Tire

[0028] 100. Brake / Park data

[0029] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] In this detailed description, preferred embodiments of the active pressure control system are described solely for the purpose of better comprehension and without any restrictive effect.

[0031] Figure 1 shows the active tire pressure control system according to the invention. During braking, the signal received from the ABS sensors (40) is communicated with the control unit (70), which detects skidding of the tire (90). Based on the data from ABS sensors (40) and brake / park data (100), the control unit (70) determines which tire (90) is skidding and whether traction is lost or skidding is caused by panic braking. If skidding or traction loss is detected, the control unit (70) activates the tire inflation manifold (80) to adjust the tire pressure to an optimum value, thereby ensuring the ABS system functions properly, preventing tire slippage and preserving braking performance. Additionally, in cases of traction loss, the pressure of the affected tire is adjusted for optimized grip.

[0032] Based on input from height sensors (50) that measure suspension height, the control unit (70) calculates the load per tire (90) and the necessary tire pressure. Based on this calculation, a signal is sent to the central tire inflation manifold (80), which inflates or deflates the tire to achieve the required pressure.

[0033] In our invention, the gyroscope sensor (10) sends vehicle inclination data to the control unit (70). When the vehicle speed data (30) is zero, the engine is off, and brake / park data (100) is active, the vehicle control unit communicates this information to the tire inflation control unit (70). If the vehicle is on a steep incline and stationary, the system reduces the tire pressures via the central tire inflation manifold (80) to reduce the torque requirement forthe parking brake. Additionally, in low-speed scenarios with high side inclination, tire pressures are adjusted based on gyroscope data to lower the vehicle's center of gravity and reduce tipping moment, thereby increasing maximum side slope capacity.

[0034] In this invention, the active tire pressure control system integrates with vehicle cameras (60) during deep-water crossings and floating operations to automatically deactivate itself, preventing driver inattention. Upon receiving signals from the camera (60) or swim mode data (20), these signals are transmitted from the vehicle control unit to the tire inflation control unit (70). The control unit (70) then activates the central tire inflation manifold (80) and adjusts the tire pressure (90) to a value predetermined for the optimum freeboard during floating. The system alerts the driver during the inflation process to prevent the start of a floating operation. Once the required tire pressure is achieved, the system automatically shuts off and cannot be reactivated during the operation. After completion of the swimming operation and deactivation of swim mode, the system reactivates and optimizes tire pressures again. Furthermore, using vehicle speed data (30) and camera data (60), the system automatically adjusts tire pressure for the most suitable driving scenario (mud, snow, gravel, tarmac) without needing driver input, thus eliminating potential human error.

[0035] The extent of the protection demanded in this application is defined in the claims section and cannot be limited by the above-described examples. It is evident that a person skilled in the art can achieve the proposed innovation using similar configurations and / or can apply the configuration to other fields where similar objectives are pursued. Therefore, such configurations clearly do not meet the requirements of novelty or innovation over the state of the art.

Claims

CLAIMS1- The invention relates to an active pressure control system which prolongs tire life by adjusting the vehicle's tire pressure, and improves fuel efficiency and range by enhancing driving dynamics; characterized in that it includes a control unit (70) which, based on data from ABS sensors (40) and brake / park data (100), determines which tire (90) is skidding and / or which tire shows traction loss and / or which tire is skidding due to panic braking; calculates the load per tire and necessary pressure based on suspension height measured by a height sensor (50); reduces tire pressures when the vehicle is stationary on a steep slope using the vehicle's gyroscope sensor (10), vehicle speed data (30), and brake / park data (100) via the central tire inflation manifold (80) to reduce required parking brake torque; adjusts the tires (90) to be suitable for floating by receiving images from the camera (60) or swim mode data (20) and disables the active pressure control system during floating; and adjusts tire pressure automatically for the most suitable driving scenario (mud, snow, gravel, tarmac) based on vehicle speed (30) and camera (60) data, without requiring driver input.2- The active pressure control system according to Claim 1, characterized in that it includes a manifold (80) which increases or decreases the tire pressure based on signals received from the control unit (70).3- The active pressure control system according to Claim 2, characterized in that it includes an ABS sensor (40) that detects whether the vehicle's tire (90) is skidding.4- The active pressure control system according to Claim 1, characterized in that it includes a height sensor (50) measuring suspension height.5- The active pressure control system according to Claim 1, characterized in that it includes a gyroscope sensor (10) transmitting vehicle inclination data to the tire inflation control unit (70).

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