Tire-Mounted Acceleration Sensor Integrity via Contact Patch Signals

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing tire pressure monitoring systems lack a reliable method to assess the integrity of tire-mounted acceleration sensors, which is crucial for ensuring the accuracy and safety of vehicle control algorithms.

Innovation Solution

A system and method for assessing the integrity of tire-mounted acceleration sensors by analyzing features extracted from acceleration signals during contact patches, using cross-correlation algorithms to determine consistency limits for contact patch width and amplitude, and comparing these features against predefined operation characteristics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If tire-mounted acceleration sensors are used to extract safety-relevant information for vehicle control algorithms, then the ability to provide load and tread wear data is improved, but the risk of incorrect measurements due to sensor detachment or malfunction increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveintegrity of sensor dataVSAvoidsensor detachment or malfunction
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary integrity checks on acceleration sensors by analyzing signal features (RMS values, peak detection, spectral analysis) before the sensor data is used for safety-critical vehicle control decisions. This advance verification prevents incorrect measurements from compromising vehicle control algorithms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors acceleration sensor signals and provides feedback on sensor integrity status. By analyzing signal characteristics and comparing them against expected patterns, the system can detect sensor detachment or malfunction and alert the control system to disregard potentially incorrect measurements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Measurement precision

If acceleration sensors are mounted inside the tire to monitor contact patch characteristics, then the measurement of tire-ground interaction is improved, but the difficulty of detecting sensor integrity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontact patch measurementVSAvoidsensor integrity detection
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The acceleration sensor serves dual purposes: it measures contact patch characteristics (load, width, length) and simultaneously provides its own integrity verification through signal analysis. The sensor's measurement signals contain inherent characteristics that reveal whether the sensor is properly mounted and functioning, eliminating the need for separate integrity monitoring systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system analyzes changes in signal characteristics (amplitude, frequency content, temporal patterns) of the acceleration sensor output to detect integrity issues. Just as color changes indicate physical changes, variations in signal features indicate sensor detachment or malfunction, providing a detectable indicator of sensor health.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

3Loss of information

If multiple features are extracted from acceleration signals to assess tire characteristics, then the quantity of safety-relevant information is improved, but the complexity of signal processing increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety-relevant informationVSAvoidsignal processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The signal processing system divides the analysis into distinct segments: basic signal acquisition, feature extraction (RMS, peaks, spectral features), integrity verification, and application-specific processing. This segmentation allows multiple features to be extracted and analyzed independently, managing complexity while preserving all safety-relevant information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4046832B1Safe measurement of tire characteristics
Publication Date: 2025.07.23 MELEXIS TECHNOLOGIES SA
  • EP4046832B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP4046832B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5
  • EP4046832B1 patent drawingFigure 6~7

AI summary

A system (100) configured for assessing the integrity of a sensor module mounted in a tire of a wheel or on an inner surface of the tire of the wheel. The system (100) comprising: a sensor module (110) configured for generating a first acceleration signal and/or a second acceleration signal; a processing module (120) configured for: determining at least two features of the first acceleration signal and/or determining at least one feature of the first acceleration signal and at least one feature of the second acceleration signal, wherein the features are characterizing a perturbation in the acceleration signal caused when a part of the tire, where the sensor module is mounted, hits the ground and forms a contact patch; verifying the consistency of the features by assessing if these features or a combination thereof meet a predefined operation characteristic.