Tire Failure Detection Using Side-Slip Energy and Body-Mounted Sensors

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional tire failure detection methods using acceleration sensors attached directly to tires are unreliable due to susceptibility to centrifugal force and impact from rough road surfaces, leading to sensor failure over long periods of use.

Innovation Solution

A tire failure detection system utilizing a steering angle sensor, yaw rate sensor, and control unit to calculate side-slip energy, determining tire failure when this energy exceeds a threshold, without the need for sensors mounted directly on the tires.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If acceleration sensors are attached directly to each tire for tire failure detection, then tire failure can be detected, but the sensor reliability deteriorates due to susceptibility to centrifugal force and impact force from rough road surfaces

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetire failure detection accuracyVSAvoidsensor durability

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the sensor from the harsh tire environment and relocates it to the vehicle body. Instead of mounting acceleration sensors directly on tires, the system uses sensors installed on the vehicle body to detect tire failure through alternative measurement approaches, thereby protecting sensors from centrifugal and impact forces while maintaining detection capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces steering angle and yaw rate as intermediary parameters. Rather than directly measuring tire acceleration, the system uses steering angle sensor and yaw rate sensor outputs to calculate side-slip energy, which indirectly indicates tire failure conditions without exposing sensors to damaging forces

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Duration of action of moving object

If sensors are exposed to centrifugal force and impact force for continuous monitoring, then real-time tire condition monitoring is achieved, but the sensor lifespan decreases due to prolonged exposure to harsh conditions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemonitoring durationVSAvoidsensor lifespan

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts sensors from the rotating tire environment and places them on the stationary vehicle body, eliminating the continuous exposure to centrifugal and impact forces that would otherwise limit sensor lifespan and monitoring duration

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces direct mechanical acceleration sensing on tires with a computational approach using steering angle and yaw rate data. This substitution allows for equivalent tire condition monitoring without the mechanical stress that would degrade sensor lifespan

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS11987119B2Device, method, and program for tire failure detection, and computer-readable recording medium recording tire failure detection program

Publication Date: 2024.05.21 VOLVO TRUCK CORP

AI summary

A tire failure detection device includes a steering angle sensor for sensing a steering angle, a yaw rate sensor for sensing a yaw rate, and a control unit. The control unit calculates side-slip energy based on the output signal of the steering angle sensor and the output signal of the yaw rate sensor, and determines that a failure has occurred in a tire when the side-slip energy exceeds a first threshold.