Axle Accelerometer Road Event Diagnostics

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Solution Overview

Problem

Commercial vehicles do not effectively share road and vehicle condition data in real-time, limiting the ability to plan efficient routes, reduce fuel costs, and prioritize road maintenance.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle axle system equipped with tri-axis accelerometers and data processors that analyze acceleration data to determine road events, classify road conditions, and transmit this information to a cloud-based server for further analysis and sharing with stakeholders.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If road condition data is collected and shared in real-time among vehicles and stakeholders, then route planning efficiency and road maintenance prioritization improve, but data collection infrastructure complexity and processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroute planning efficiencyVSAvoiddata collection infrastructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables vehicles to automatically collect, process, and share road condition data without requiring centralized data collection infrastructure. Each vehicle acts as an independent data source, using its own sensors (accelerometers, GPS) to generate and transmit road event information, thereby eliminating complex centralized collection systems while improving route planning efficiency through real-time data availability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a multi-functional platform that serves multiple stakeholders (vehicle operators, road authorities, logistics companies) simultaneously through a single data sharing system. The cloud-based server consolidates data from diverse sources and provides customized information to different user groups, achieving high productivity for route planning while avoiding the need for separate specialized systems for each stakeholder

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If detailed road event data is collected and analyzed, then road maintenance scheduling and vehicle safety improve, but data processing requirements and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle safetyVSAvoiddata processing energy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts only the most critical road event parameters (acceleration spikes, GPS coordinates, event timing) from the raw sensor data, filtering out redundant information. This selective data extraction maintains vehicle safety through accurate road condition awareness while minimizing energy consumption by processing only essential data points rather than continuous raw sensor streams

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements event-triggered data collection where sensors activate and transmit data only when road events (potholes, bumps, curves) are detected, rather than continuous monitoring. This partial action approach ensures reliable safety information is captured during critical moments while dramatically reducing overall energy consumption during normal driving conditions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Loss of energy

If real-time data sharing is implemented across the network, then fuel costs and wear and tear are reduced, but communication infrastructure requirements and data transmission overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefuel costsVSAvoiddata transmission overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system transmits compressed and summarized road event data (key parameters and coordinates) rather than complete raw sensor datasets. This copying approach with data reduction maintains the essential information needed for fuel-efficient routing decisions while minimizing transmission overhead and network bandwidth requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

Data is pre-processed, filtered, and formatted on the vehicle端 before transmission, with only validated and relevant road event information sent to the cloud server and other vehicles. This preliminary data preparation reduces transmission overhead by eliminating redundant data, while still providing timely information for fuel cost reduction through optimized route planning

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables real-time sharing of road and vehicle condition data, allowing for informed route planning, reduced maintenance costs, and improved road maintenance scheduling, while enhancing safety and reducing wear and tear on vehicles.

Implementation Method 1

Attached one or more of said housings is one or more tri-axis accelerometers

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAccelerometer: Accelerometer

Data Source

PatentEP3226222B1Method and apparatus for providing road and vehicle condition diagnostics
Publication Date: 2021.04.28 DANA HEAVY VEHICLE SYSTEMS GROUP LLC
  • EP3226222B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3226222B1 patent drawingFigure 2~2C
  • EP3226222B1 patent drawingFigure 3~3A

AI summary

A method of providing road and vehicle diagnostics. The method includes providing a vehicle axle system having a first axle half shaft housing, a second axle half shaft housing and a differential housing. Attached one or more of said housings is one or more tri-axis accelerometers. In communication with the accelerometers is one or more data processors operably configured to receive and analyze data from the accelerometers. An occurrence of one or more road events is determined by one or more spikes in the Z-direction of said data collected from said accelerometers. A depth of the road event is determined by a magnitude of said positive and negative changes in acceleration of said spike in said Z-direction and a length of road event is determined by a span of said one or more spikes in said Z-direction. Once the road event is identified the time and geographic location of the road event is identified.