Adaptive Tire Pressure Monitoring via Load-Dependent Thresholds

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for monitoring tire inflation pressure in vehicles fail to accurately account for varying loads, leading to inadequate detection of pressure anomalies, especially when the vehicle is heavily or lightly loaded, due to the reliance on predetermined thresholds that do not consider the current load distribution across axles.

Innovation Solution

A method that determines the load difference between tire-wheel assemblies using vehicle speed and rotation frequencies, accounting for current inflation pressures, to detect mismatches in inflation pressure relative to the load, allowing for adaptive pressure adjustments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a predetermined warning threshold is set for tire inflation pressure, then the system can detect pressure anomalies, but it cannot accurately account for varying loads on the vehicle

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepressure anomaly detection accuracyVSAvoidload condition adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the warning threshold adaptive rather than fixed. The system dynamically adjusts the threshold based on real-time load detection. The load detection device determines current vehicle load, and the processing device uses this information to adjust the warning threshold accordingly, allowing the same threshold to work accurately across different load conditions (unloaded, partially loaded, fully loaded states).

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of the warning threshold from a fixed predetermined value to a dynamically adjusted value based on load conditions. The processing device modifies the threshold parameter according to the detected load state, enabling accurate pressure anomaly detection across varying load scenarios without requiring multiple fixed thresholds.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If load sensors are equipped to determine vehicle load, then accurate load-based pressure monitoring is possible, but the cost of the system increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveload measurement accuracyVSAvoidsystem cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses existing tire pressure monitoring system components (pressure sensors already present in the vehicle) to indirectly detect load conditions. Instead of installing separate load sensors, the system copies the functionality needed for load detection by analyzing pressure data and rotational behavior from existing sensors, thereby avoiding the high cost of direct load measurement equipment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical load sensor system with a computational approach using existing electronic sensors. The processing device calculates load conditions by analyzing rotational frequencies and pressure data from existing tire monitoring systems, substituting a complex mechanical sensing system with a simpler electronic computation-based solution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If the warning threshold is set for maximum load conditions, then safety is improved for heavily loaded vehicles, but false warnings occur for lightly loaded vehicles

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety for heavily loaded vehiclesVSAvoidfalse warnings
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the warning threshold based on detected load conditions rather than using a fixed maximum-load threshold. When the vehicle is lightly loaded, the threshold is lowered to prevent false warnings; when heavily loaded, the threshold is raised to ensure safety. This dynamic adjustment eliminates false warnings while maintaining safety across all load conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The warning threshold parameter is changed from a fixed maximum-load value to a load-dependent variable. The processing device modifies this parameter based on real-time load detection, ensuring the threshold is appropriate for the current load condition and preventing false warnings in lightly loaded states while maintaining safety for heavily loaded vehicles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP1829714B1Method of determining the loaded state of a vehicle.
Publication Date: 2010.06.30 MICHELIN & CO (CIE GEN DES ESTAB MICHELIN)
  • EP1829714B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2(d)
  • EP1829714B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP1829714B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The method involves determining inflation pressure and rotation frequencies of two tire-wheel assemblies mounted on two different axle systems. Difference in load between the two assemblies is calculated from speed of a vehicle and frequency of rotation of the assemblies by considering current inflation pressure. Load state is determined by comparing the difference in load calculated with a preset threshold.