Wheel Acceleration Decomposition for Redundant Rotation Estimation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wheel status estimation methods in vehicles, such as those using toothed wheels with hall effect sensors, lack reliable and accurate alternatives when these sensors fail, leading to inaccurate motion prediction and handling.

Innovation Solution

Utilizing a computer system with processing circuitry to analyze acceleration data from a vehicle's wheel-mounted accelerometer, breaking down the data into components like gravitational, centripetal, and road-contact acceleration to estimate rotational angle and motion, enhancing accuracy and reliability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If wheel status is estimated using traditional toothed wheel sensors, then measurement is available, but reliability deteriorates when sensors fail or report inaccurate data

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewheel status estimation reliabilityVSAvoidwheel status measurement accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a virtual copy of the wheel status measurement by processing acceleration data through signal decomposition and frequency analysis. Instead of relying on a single physical sensor, the system generates equivalent wheel status information from accelerometer data, providing redundancy and maintaining measurement capability when traditional sensors fail.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical toothed wheel sensor system with an accelerometer-based measurement system. By substituting the mechanical sensing approach with inertial measurement and signal processing, the system eliminates the reliability issues associated with mechanical sensor failures while maintaining wheel status measurement capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If acceleration data is decomposed into multiple components, then estimation accuracy improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewheel status estimation accuracyVSAvoidsignal processing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the total acceleration signal into distinct components (gravitational, centripetal, and road-contact acceleration) through frequency domain analysis. This segmentation allows each component to be processed and analyzed separately, improving measurement precision by isolating the relevant wheel status information from noise and interference while managing complexity through systematic decomposition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial action by focusing computational resources on extracting specific frequency components related to wheel status rather than processing the entire acceleration spectrum. By concentrating analysis on the relevant gravitational and centripetal acceleration components, the system achieves high estimation accuracy without requiring excessive computational complexity across all possible signal features.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Improves the reliability and accuracy of wheel status estimation by leveraging distinct acceleration components, allowing for redundant measurements and frequency analysis to accurately determine rotational angle and motion, even in the absence of traditional sensors.

Implementation Method 1

the gravitational acceleration component is indicative of a gravitational acceleration caused by a gravitational force as the wheel is rotated

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGravitational acceleration: Gravitation

Implementation Method 2

the centripetal acceleration component is indicative of a centripetal acceleration caused by the accelerometer being subject to a centripetal force when the wheel is rotated

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCentripetal acceleration: Centrifugal Force

Data Source

PatentUS20250278960A1Estimating status of a wheel based on acceleration data

Publication Date: 2025.09.04 VOLVO TRUCK CORP

AI summary

A computer system has processing circuitry configured to handle acceleration data of an accelerometer. The accelerometer is arranged to measure acceleration of a wheel of a vehicle. The processing circuitry is configured to obtain acceleration data from the accelerometer. The acceleration data is indicative of a total acceleration measured by the accelerometer. The processing circuitry is configured to derive from the acceleration data, a set of acceleration components. Each component in the set of acceleration components indicates a respective portion of the total acceleration. The processing circuitry is configured to estimate a status of the wheel based on the set of acceleration components. The status of the wheel comprises a rotational angle of the wheel and/or a rotational motion of the wheel.