Wheel Fault Detection from Corrective Steering Angles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods cannot detect wheel faults, such as alignment or tire deflation, in real-time during vehicle driving, which affects the performance and safety of vehicles equipped with advanced driver assistance systems, and fail to identify which wheel is affected.
Innovation Solution
A method that automatically determines corrective steering wheel angles while driving on rectilinear and curved lanes, calculates averages and time derivatives to detect and estimate faults, and generates a warning message to identify the affected wheel, allowing for timely maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If wheel alignment inspection is performed using conventional inspection bench equipment, then measurement precision of alignment angles is improved, but loss of time during vehicle maintenance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical inspection bench system with an optical/image processing system. A camera captures images of the vehicle and road, and image processing algorithms automatically determine alignment angles and detect wheel faults, eliminating the need for physical contact with the inspection bench and reducing maintenance time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the vehicle to self-diagnose wheel alignment issues during normal operation. By using the vehicle's own camera and processing system to monitor wheel alignment in real-time, the vehicle performs self-inspection without requiring dedicated inspection equipment or technician intervention.
2Ease of operation
If lateral control assistance systems are used to maintain vehicle path, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates when wheel faults are present
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors corrective steering angles and compares them against expected values for straight-line driving. When deviations exceed thresholds, the system generates warnings to alert the driver of potential wheel faults, providing feedback that allows the driver to take corrective action before safety is compromised.
Solution Approach 2:
The system detects wheel alignment faults and tire deflation issues before they significantly impact vehicle safety or performance. By monitoring steering behavior patterns and identifying anomalies early, the system enables preventive maintenance rather than reactive response after failures occur.
3Loss of information
If diagnostic systems analyze steering corrections to detect malfunctions, then loss of information about system faults is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the existing lateral control assistance system's steering angle data for dual purposes: both for path keeping control and for wheel fault detection. By analyzing the corrective steering angles already being calculated for assistance functions, the system extracts additional diagnostic information without requiring separate sensors or measurement systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the corrective steering angles as an intermediary variable that connects the lateral control system to fault detection. Rather than directly measuring wheel alignment or tire pressure, the system infers fault conditions from the steering corrections needed to maintain proper vehicle path, using steering behavior as a mediator to reveal underlying mechanical issues.
Data Source
AI summary
The subject matter of the invention is a method for detecting faults related to wheels of a motor vehicle in a driving situation, comprising: —a step (S1) of automatically determining a first series of corrective steering wheel angles applied successively to force the vehicle to follow a path parallel to a first rectilinear portion of a traffic lane; —a step (S2) of automatically detecting, from the corrective steering wheel angles of the first series, the presence of a fault affecting a pair of steering wheels of the vehicle; and, optionally: —a step (S3) of estimating a type of fault associated with the detected fault, a step (S4) of identifying the steering wheel of the pair of wheels affected by the fault; and —a step (S5) of generating a warning message for the attention of the driver of the motor vehicle, the message including the estimated type of fault and the wheel identified as having the fault.