Dual-Stage Tire Blowout Detection for Heavy-Duty Vehicle Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) in heavy-duty vehicles are not robust enough and have delayed response times, failing to timely detect tire explosions, which is critical for maintaining vehicle stability and control, especially in vehicles with high parametric uncertainty and significant coupling between wheel speeds and lateral motion.
Innovation Solution
A control unit that utilizes a first tire explosion detection system with a lower response time, such as a pressure switch, for near-instantaneous detection, and a second system with a higher response time, such as individual wheel speed sensors and IMU, to confirm the explosion, enabling a fault-tolerant vehicle motion management mode and immediate safety maneuvers like brake pressurization and steering torque adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single TPMS is used for tire explosion detection, then the system structure is simple, but the response time is delayed (around 500 ms) and reliability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the tire explosion detection function into two separate systems: a first TPMS for initial detection and a second TPMS for confirmation. This segmentation allows each system to be optimized for its specific function, with the first system focusing on rapid detection and the second on reliable verification, thereby improving overall reliability without requiring a single overly complex system to perform all functions
Solution Approach 2:
The first TPMS performs preliminary detection of tire explosions and triggers a preliminary control action (preparing the vehicle for safety maneuver) before the second TPMS confirms the explosion. This preliminary action reduces the overall response time by starting the safety maneuver preparation process earlier, while the second TPMS provides reliable confirmation to finalize the control action
2Speed
If TPMS response time is reduced to improve vehicle stability control, then vehicle stability is maintained, but the system robustness decreases due to high parametric uncertainty in heavy-duty vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the second TPMS continuously monitors tire pressure and provides confirmation feedback to verify the initial detection by the first TPMS. This feedback loop ensures that the rapid detection by the first system is validated by the more robust second system, maintaining reliability even with reduced response time in systems with high parametric uncertainty
Solution Approach 2:
The first TPMS performs preliminary detection and triggers preliminary control actions before the second TPMS provides confirmation. This allows the system to begin safety maneuvers earlier while the second system validates the detection, effectively reducing the overall response time while maintaining robustness through the confirmation step
3Measurement precision
If a single detection system is used, then the system is easier to operate, but the detection accuracy and timeliness are insufficient for heavy-duty vehicles with significant coupling between wheel speeds and lateral motion
Solution Approach 1:
The detection function is segmented into two specialized systems: the first TPMS optimized for rapid initial detection and the second TPMS optimized for accurate confirmation. Each system can be tuned and calibrated for its specific function, improving overall detection precision while maintaining operational simplicity through automated coordination between the two systems
Solution Approach 2:
The second TPMS provides confirmation feedback to verify detections made by the first TPMS. This feedback mechanism enhances measurement precision by filtering out false positives and confirming actual tire explosions, while the automated feedback process maintains ease of operation without requiring manual intervention
Data Source
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AI summary
A control unit for early detection and response to a tire explosion in a heavy-duty vehicle, wherein the control unit is configured to: 1) obtain sensor data for a first and a second tire explosion detection system, where the first tire explosion detection system has a lower response time than the second system, 2) detect a tire explosion from the sensor data of the first system, and in response to detecting the tire explosion, prepare the vehicle for a safety maneuver, 3) confirm the tire explosion by detecting the tire explosion from the sensor data of the second system, and in response to confirming the tire explosion, execute the safety maneuver.