Tire Footprint Length Control for Accurate Inflation Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tire inflation pressure monitoring systems lack accuracy due to their inability to account for external factors such as tire wear and load, leading to inefficient tire performance and increased fuel consumption.
Innovation Solution
A system that monitors the centerline length of a tire's footprint and uses a linear relationship between this length and inflation pressure to adjust tire inflation pressure, ensuring optimal tire performance by maintaining a target centerline length.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a dedicated pressure sensor is installed in the tire to measure absolute inflation pressure, then the measurement is obtained, but the accuracy is relatively low because the system is oblivious of the tire's actual performance at the current inflation pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary approach by using footprint length measurements as a mediator to infer tire inflation pressure. Instead of directly measuring pressure with a sensor inside the tire, the system measures the footprint length (which is easier to obtain from external sensors) and uses it as an intermediary parameter to determine the actual inflation pressure, thereby improving measurement accuracy without requiring complex internal pressure sensing.
2Reliability
If tire inflation pressure is monitored using a dedicated pressure sensor, then the inflation pressure is measured, but the system does not account for external factors such as tire wear and load, leading to reduced accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by establishing a lookup table or database that pre-stores the relationship between footprint length and inflation pressure under various conditions (different tire wear levels, loads, temperatures). When monitoring, the system first determines current conditions, retrieves the appropriate calibration data from the pre-stored information, and then uses it to accurately determine inflation pressure. This allows the system to adapt to external factors without requiring real-time complex calculations or additional sensors.
3Productivity
If the tire inflation pressure is adjusted based on absolute pressure measurements, then the pressure control is achieved, but the tire's actual performance is not optimized due to ignoring factors like tire wear and load
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring the footprint length and comparing it against expected values for optimal tire performance. The system uses the footprint length measurement to infer both the inflation pressure and the tire's actual performance state (accounting for wear and load). This feedback loop allows the system to adjust inflation pressure to maintain optimal performance rather than just maintaining a fixed absolute pressure, thereby preventing loss of information about tire condition.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a tire inflation pressure method and system. A tire inflation pressure adjustment signal is generated in order to maintain the centerline length of the tire's footprint within a range that allows the good performance of the tire. In embodiments of the invention, a linear relationship between tire inflation pressure, footprint centerline length and vehicle load are exploited to allow for an efficient implementation.