Vehicle Weight Determination via Ride Height Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining vehicle weight and weight distribution fail to accurately account for vehicle characteristics, driving behavior, environmental factors, and other influences, leading to inaccurate measurements.
Innovation Solution
The system uses on-board sensors to calculate vehicle weight information based on ride height, considering factors like suspension degradation, temperature, humidity, and driving surface conditions, and continuously adjusts these calculations using compensation factors to provide accurate and updated weight data to the driver.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If vehicle weight is determined using basic ride height measurement, then the measurement process is simple, but the measurement precision is insufficient due to ignoring vehicle characteristics and environmental factors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by adjusting the calculation model to account for varying conditions. Compensation factors are introduced that modify the basic ride height to weight relationship based on temperature, suspension age, and driving surface conditions. This allows the system to maintain measurement precision across different environmental conditions without requiring a completely new measurement system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct mechanical weight measurement with a computational approach. Instead of using physical scales or load cells, the system uses ride height sensors combined with compensation calculations to determine vehicle weight. This substitution reduces hardware complexity while improving measurement precision through software-based corrections.
2Measurement precision
If compensation factors for temperature, suspension degradation, and driving surface are incorporated, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-determining compensation factors for common conditions. Temperature compensation values, suspension degradation rates, and driving surface coefficients are established in advance through calibration and testing. During operation, the system simply selects and applies the appropriate pre-calculated factors rather than performing complex real-time calculations, thus improving precision without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the calculated weight information is continuously refined based on sensor data and compensation factors. The controller adjusts the weight calculation by applying compensation values derived from temperature sensors, ride height measurements, and stored compensation data, creating a closed-loop system that improves measurement precision through iterative correction.
3Reliability
If continuous weight monitoring with multiple compensation factors is implemented, then reliability of weight information improves, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by updating weight calculations at specific intervals or under specific triggering conditions rather than continuously. The system recalculates weight information based on changes in ride height, temperature, or driving surface conditions, rather than performing constant calculations. This approach maintains reliability of weight information while reducing overall energy consumption by allowing the system to enter lower-power states between updates.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus to determine vehicle weight information based on ride height are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes a weight calculator to determine a relationship between ride height information and weight of a vehicle and a compensation calculator to adjust the relationship based on compensation factors and calculate vehicle weight information for the vehicle based on the adjusted relationship, the compensation factors based on vehicle sensor data. The example apparatus further includes a calculation adjustor to adjust the vehicle weight information calculation of the weight calculator or the compensation calculator based on driver behavior.