Wheel Path Display Using Suspension-Based Position Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle systems fail to accurately determine and display the actual location and path of vehicle wheels due to factors like uneven terrain and vehicle body roll, which can lead to deviations from nominal positions and paths, affecting navigation and obstacle avoidance.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising suspension sensors, a processor, and a display that determines the actual horizontal wheel position and angle by measuring vertical wheel positions and steering angles, providing real-time feedback to the driver through an image on the vehicle's display, accounting for suspension movements and body roll.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If nominal wheel position and path are used for display, then the system is simple, but the accuracy of wheel position representation deteriorates due to uneven terrain and body roll
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces suspension sensors as intermediary devices that measure vertical wheel positions and body roll angles. These sensors act as mediators between the physical wheel positions and the display system, providing correction data that allows the nominal wheel position to be adjusted to reflect actual positions accurately without completely redesigning the display system
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct mechanical measurement of horizontal wheel positions with an indirect approach using vertical position sensors and computational geometry. Instead of using complex mechanical linkages to track horizontal wheel movement, the system uses vertical suspension sensor data combined with steering angle information and geometric calculations to determine actual wheel positions
2Reliability
If actual wheel position measurement is implemented, then the accuracy of path determination improves, but the device complexity increases due to additional sensors and processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the suspension sensors serve multiple functions: they provide data for wheel position correction, body roll compensation, and path determination. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated sensors for each measurement task, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while maintaining high navigation reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring actual wheel positions through suspension sensors and using this information to correct the displayed wheel position and path. The feedback loop ensures that the display accurately reflects real-time wheel positions, improving navigation reliability while using existing sensor infrastructure
3Measurement precision
If nominal steering angle is used without correction, then the system is simple, but the accuracy of projected path determination deteriorates due to suspension movement and bump steer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses suspension sensors as intermediary measurement devices that indirectly provide steering angle correction data. Instead of directly measuring the complex interactions between suspension movement and steering angle, the system uses vertical position measurements as intermediaries to calculate the effective steering angle, including bump steer effects
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct mechanical measurement of steering angle with an indirect computational approach. Instead of using complex mechanical steering angle sensors that account for suspension movement, the system uses vertical suspension sensor data combined with geometric relationships to calculate the actual wheel orientation and projected path
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle includes a body including suspension components, multiple wheels coupled to the body, a suspension sensor coupled to one of the suspension components or at least one of said multiple wheels, a camera, a display connected to the camera to display at least part of the camera view, a processor receiving inputs from the suspension sensor, and memory coupled to the processor. The memory includes a program from which an actual horizontal wheel position relative to a path of travel of the vehicle is determined as a function of a vertical position of the at least one of said multiple wheels. And the processor causes an image representative of the actual horizontal wheel position to appear on the display, and wherein vertical is in the direction of gravity and horizontal is perpendicular to the direction of gravity.