Suspension Event Monitoring for Off-Road Travel Distance Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle monitoring systems lack a convenient and accurate method to detect and record suspension events, such as cycling the suspension system between full droop and compression, and share this information effectively, especially in off-road environments.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle monitoring system that includes a sensor network coupled to suspension components and a controller to determine suspension events, vehicle speed, initiation angle, and duration time, allowing for calculation of vertical and horizontal distance traveled during these events, and enables sharing of this data via communication modules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a vehicle monitoring system uses basic sensors to track vehicle operation, then the system structure remains simple, but it cannot accurately detect and record suspension events such as cycling between full droop and compression
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is segmented into distinct functional modules: sensor network for data collection, controller for event determination, and communication module for data sharing. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized independently while maintaining overall system accuracy for detecting suspension events.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller is designed to perform multiple functions: determining suspension events, calculating vehicle speed, computing initiation angle, measuring duration time, and determining vertical and horizontal distance traveled. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated devices, maintaining reasonable complexity while achieving accurate suspension event detection.
2Loss of information
If the monitoring system records detailed parameters including vertical and horizontal distance traveled, then the information value increases, but the data processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs preliminary calculations of vehicle speed, initiation angle, duration time, and distance components during the suspension event itself. By pre-calculating these parameters, the system reduces the need for complex post-processing and ensures complete data capture without requiring overly complex real-time processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces complex mechanical measurement devices with computational methods. Instead of using separate mechanical sensors for vertical and horizontal distance, the controller calculates these parameters using sensor data and mathematical algorithms, reducing hardware complexity while maintaining information completeness.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system enables sharing of suspension event data through communication modules, then community engagement and driver experience improve, but the system complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The communication module operates periodically rather than continuously, transmitting suspension event data at predetermined intervals or when specific events occur. This periodic operation reduces energy consumption compared to continuous communication while still enabling effective data sharing and community engagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system leverages existing vehicle communication infrastructure and platforms for data sharing, rather than building a dedicated communication system from scratch. By utilizing already-available communication channels and platforms, the system achieves versatile data sharing capability with minimal additional energy consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle monitoring system may include a sensor network operably coupled to suspension components of the vehicle and a controller operably coupled to the sensor network to determine a suspension event and vehicle speed, initiation angle and duration time associated with the suspension event. The controller further determines a vertical and/or horizontal component of the distance traveled during the suspension event based on the vehicle speed, initiation angle and duration time.