Tire Damage Detection Using Normalized Wheel Speed Models

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current tire damage detection technologies are not efficient or reliable enough to promptly identify potential damages to tires caused by impacts, which can lead to further damage or failure if not addressed promptly.

Innovation Solution

A tire damage detection system that uses normalized wheel speed analysis and predefined models to detect potential tire damage based on impacts against obstacles, incorporating tire inflation pressure, and provides real-time notifications to the driver.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If wheel impact sensing systems are used to detect tire damage, then damage detection capability is improved, but false alarms and reliability are worsened due to inability to distinguish actual damage from normal impacts

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedamage detection reliabilityVSAvoidimpact severity measurement precision
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system transforms the raw impact signal into a normalized wheel speed parameter, which is then compared against predefined damage models. This parameter transformation enables the system to distinguish between normal impacts and actual tire damage by analyzing the characteristics of wheel speed variations rather than raw acceleration signals alone.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary normalization of the wheel speed signal and compares it against pre-established damage models before making a damage determination. This preliminary processing allows the system to filter out normal impact variations and identify only those patterns that indicate actual tire damage, thereby reducing false alarms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If real-time tire damage detection is implemented, then safety is improved, but system complexity and cost are worsened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetire safetyVSAvoiddetection system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses a single wheel speed sensor that serves multiple functions: monitoring wheel speed for normal operation, detecting impacts, and identifying tire damage. By making the wheel speed measurement multi-functional, the system achieves real-time damage detection without adding separate dedicated sensors or complex detection hardware.

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

Solution Approach 2:

The system utilizes existing wheel speed data that is already being collected for normal vehicle operation and transforms it into damage detection information. This self-service approach allows the system to perform damage detection using data that is already available from the vehicle's existing sensor infrastructure, eliminating the need for additional dedicated detection hardware.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Measurement precision

If normalized wheel speed analysis is used, then detection accuracy is improved, but processing time and computational load are worsened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedamage detection accuracyVSAvoidreal-time processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies normalization and model comparison only to the essential features of the wheel speed signal that are most indicative of damage. By focusing computational resources on the most relevant parameters rather than analyzing the entire signal spectrum, the system achieves high detection accuracy while maintaining real-time processing capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3856538B1Tire damage detection system and method
Publication Date: 2024.01.10 BRIDGESTONE EURO NV SA
  • EP3856538B1 patent drawingFigure 1~4
  • EP3856538B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3856538B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention concerns a tire damage detection method that includes a tire damage detection step comprising: providing an acquisition device (11), which is installed on board a motor vehicle (2) equipped with two or more wheels fitted with tires, and which is coupled to a vehicle bus (20) of the motor vehicle (2), and a processing device/system (12,12A,12B) storing a predefined tire damage model; acquiring, by the acquisition device (11) from the vehicle bus (20), a signal indicative of a speed of a wheel of the motor vehicle (2); outputting, by the acquisition device (11), quantities indicative of the wheel speed; receiving, by the processing device/system (12,12A,12B) from the acquisition device (11), the quantities indicative of the wheel speed; computing, by the processing device/system (12,12A,12B), based on the quantities indicative of the wheel speed, a normalized wheel speed indicative of a ratio of the wheel speed to an average wheel speed indicative of motor vehicle speed; and detecting, by the processing device/system (12,12A,12B), a potential damage to a tire of the wheel of the motor vehicle (2) based on the predefined tire damage model and on the normalized wheel speed. In particular, the tire damage detection method according to the present invention includes also a preliminary step that comprises: performing tests involving test tire impacts against/on different obstacles at different motor vehicle speeds; measuring/acquiring test-related wheel speeds during the performed tests; computing test-related normalized wheel speeds based on the test-related wheel speeds; and determining the predefined tire damage model to be used by the processing device/system (12,12A,12B) in the tire damage detection step on the basis of the test-related normalized wheel speeds corresponding to the test tire impacts and of associated test-related average wheel speeds.