Wheel Alignment Detection Using Existing Vehicle Sensors

Solution Overview

Problem

Current vehicle systems like SCC and LKAS lack the ability to independently detect and correct wheel alignment changes, which can lead to malfunctions and accidents, as they rely on external checks and do not have the capability to verify normal vehicle operation without additional sensors.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus and method using environmental sensors like radar and camera sensors to detect wheel alignment changes, integrating a straight driving situation detection unit, wheel alignment change detection unit, and driver alarming unit to compensate for steering or forcibly stop the system when deviations exceed thresholds, ensuring vehicle stability without additional sensors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If wheel alignment is not monitored by the vehicle system, then the system structure remains simple, but the vehicle stability and safety deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevehicle stabilityVSAvoidsystem structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The vehicle system uses its own existing sensors (radar, camera, steering angle sensor, yaw rate sensor) to perform self-diagnosis of wheel alignment status. The control unit processes data from these sensors to detect alignment changes and triggers appropriate responses (alarm or system stop), enabling the system to monitor itself without external intervention or additional dedicated alignment sensors.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Existing sensors originally designed for other functions (radar for obstacle detection, camera for lane recognition, steering angle sensor for steering control, yaw rate sensor for stability control) are repurposed to also detect wheel alignment status. This multi-functional use of sensors resolves the contradiction by improving reliability through alignment monitoring without adding dedicated alignment detection devices that would increase system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Measurement precision

If additional sensors are mounted to detect wheel alignment, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewheel alignment detection accuracyVSAvoidsensor quantity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The vehicle system uses its own existing sensors (radar, camera, steering angle sensor, yaw rate sensor) to perform self-diagnosis of wheel alignment status. The control unit processes data from these sensors to detect alignment changes and triggers appropriate responses (alarm or system stop), enabling the system to monitor itself without external intervention or additional dedicated alignment sensors.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Existing sensors originally designed for other functions (radar for obstacle detection, camera for lane recognition, steering angle sensor for steering control, yaw rate sensor for stability control) are repurposed to also detect wheel alignment status. This multi-functional use of sensors resolves the contradiction by improving reliability through alignment monitoring without adding dedicated alignment detection devices that would increase system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the system operates without wheel alignment verification, then ease of operation is maintained, but harmful factors increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem malfunction riskVSAvoidsystem operation simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit continuously monitors wheel alignment status using existing sensors before allowing the vehicle system to operate. When alignment deviation exceeds a threshold, the system preemptively triggers an alarm or stops operation, preventing malfunctions and accidents that would occur if the system operated with misaligned wheels. This preliminary detection and prevention approach eliminates harmful factors while maintaining operational simplicity through automated monitoring.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system establishes a feedback loop where the control unit continuously receives data from sensors, analyzes wheel alignment status, and provides feedback by triggering alarms or stopping the system when alignment deviations are detected. This closed-loop feedback mechanism automatically prevents harmful operations without requiring driver intervention or complex manual checks, resolving the contradiction between safety and ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10378890B2Apparatus and method for determining wheel alignment change of vehicle

Publication Date: 2019.08.13 HYUNDAI MOBIS CO LTD

AI summary

An apparatus for determining a wheel alignment change of a vehicle may include: a straight driving situation detection unit configured to detect whether a vehicle is going straight, based on information on positions of objects on a road and a yaw rate and steering angle; a wheel alignment change detection unit configured to detect a wheel alignment change based on lane information acquired from a camera sensor of the vehicle, when the vehicle information detected by the straight driving situation detection unit indicates that the vehicle is going straight; a driver alarming unit configured to output an alarm to a driver when the detected wheel alignment change is larger than a preset threshold value; and a wheel alignment change compensation unit configured to compensate for steering for SCC or LKAS control, when the detected wheel alignment change is smaller than the threshold value.