US20090114005A1 - Tire sensor system and monitoring method - Google Patents
Tire sensor system and monitoring method Download PDFInfo
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- US20090114005A1 US20090114005A1 US11/933,529 US93352907A US2009114005A1 US 20090114005 A1 US20090114005 A1 US 20090114005A1 US 93352907 A US93352907 A US 93352907A US 2009114005 A1 US2009114005 A1 US 2009114005A1
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- 229920002981 polyvinylidene fluoride Polymers 0.000 claims description 6
- 239000004020 conductor Substances 0.000 description 6
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 5
- 238000001514 detection method Methods 0.000 description 4
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Images
Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60T—VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL; ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES
- B60T8/00—Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of braking force
- B60T8/17—Using electrical or electronic regulation means to control braking
- B60T8/172—Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters
- B60T8/1725—Using tyre sensors, e.g. Sidewall Torsion sensors [SWT]
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
- B60C11/00—Tyre tread bands; Tread patterns; Anti-skid inserts
- B60C11/24—Wear-indicating arrangements
- B60C11/243—Tread wear sensors, e.g. electronic sensors
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
- B60C23/00—Devices for measuring, signalling, controlling, or distributing tyre pressure or temperature, specially adapted for mounting on vehicles; Arrangement of tyre inflating devices on vehicles, e.g. of pumps or of tanks; Tyre cooling arrangements
- B60C23/02—Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure
- B60C23/04—Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure mounted on the wheel or tyre
- B60C23/0408—Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure mounted on the wheel or tyre transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
- B60C23/041—Means for supplying power to the signal- transmitting means on the wheel
- B60C23/0411—Piezoelectric generators
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
- B60C23/00—Devices for measuring, signalling, controlling, or distributing tyre pressure or temperature, specially adapted for mounting on vehicles; Arrangement of tyre inflating devices on vehicles, e.g. of pumps or of tanks; Tyre cooling arrangements
- B60C23/02—Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure
- B60C23/04—Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure mounted on the wheel or tyre
- B60C23/0491—Constructional details of means for attaching the control device
- B60C23/0493—Constructional details of means for attaching the control device for attachment on the tyre
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60T—VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL; ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES
- B60T2240/00—Monitoring, detecting wheel/tire behaviour; counteracting thereof
- B60T2240/04—Tire deformation
Definitions
- Such sensors require an energy source to power the device—typically a battery. Eliminating the battery as the energy source for tire-mounted sensors is desirable from cost, reliability and environmental standpoints.
- a tire system includes a plurality of piezoelectric devices mounted to the tire.
- the piezoelectric devices provide output signals in response to deformation of the tire.
- a processor has input terminals for receiving the signals from the piezoelectric devices, and the processor is programmed to determine tire parameters in response to the output signals from the piezoelectric devices.
- a power converter has input terminals for receiving the signals from the piezoelectric devices, and the power converter is connected to the processor to power the processor.
- FIG. 1 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating aspects of a typical tire.
- FIG. 2 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating portions of a tire system in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
- FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a tire, illustrating further aspects of a tire system accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
- FIG. 4 is a top view schematically illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a sensor system in accordance with aspects of the present invention.
- FIG. 5 is a sectional end view illustrating a portion of a tire having a sensor system mounted to an inside surface thereof in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
- FIG. 6 is a sectional view of portions of an exemplary embodiment of a sensor system in accordance with aspects of the present invention.
- FIG. 7 is a sectional view of portions of another exemplary embodiment of a sensor system in accordance with aspects of the present invention.
- FIG. 8 illustrates a portion of an exemplary sensor system, showing connections between piezoelectric devices an electronics module in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
- FIG. 9 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating portions of an electronics module in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
- FIG. 10 is a top view schematically illustrating an exemplary embodiment of an alternative sensor system in accordance with aspects of the present invention.
- FIG. 1 conceptually illustrates portions of a typical tire.
- the tire 10 includes an outer periphery 12 that typically has a tread formed about its circumference for contacting an underlying surface 14 .
- the outer peripheral portion 12 has a constant circumferential length which is substantially round.
- the outer periphery 12 has a flattened area 16 at the tire-to-road surface interface.
- the portion 16 of a tire that is in actual contact with the road surface—the bearing surface of the tire 10 is referred to as the contact area.
- Determining the length of a tire's contact area 16 , or bearing surface can be used to calculate desired tire parameters and accordingly, can provide much useful information about the tire.
- the shape or length of the contact area can have a great effect on the handling of the vehicle to which the tire is mounted.
- the length of the contact area varies in relation to the inflation pressure of the tire under a constant vehicle load. Thus, if the vehicle load is constant, increasing the inflation pressure shortens the contact area, and decreasing the inflation pressure lengthens the contact area.
- FIG. 2 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating a tire system 100 in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
- the system 100 includes a tire 102 with a sensor system 110 that transmits information about the tire 102 to a receiver 104 .
- the receiver 104 can be located in a vehicle to which the tire 102 is mounted, or it can be separate from any such vehicle. Information can be transmitted from the sensor system 110 to the receiver 104 in any suitable manner.
- the sensor system 110 outputs signals representing desired parameters of the tire 102 , such as information about the contact area, sidewall deflection, tire pressure, etc.
- the sensor system 110 includes a plurality of piezoelectric devices mounted on the inner surface 108 of the tire 102 .
- FIG. 3 conceptually illustrates further aspects of the tire system 100 , showing piezoelectric devices 112 mounted to the inside surface 108 of the tire 102 , opposite the tread 106 .
- FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the sensor system 110 , in which the piezoelectric devices 112 are situated on a flexible substrate 114 that is mountable to the inside surface 108 of the tire 102 .
- the substrate 114 may be a flexible film made from a suitable plastic material.
- FIG. 5 is an end view illustrating a portion of the tire 102 with the substrate 114 mounted to the inside surface 108 with an adhesive, for example. Portions of the inner surface 108 opposite portions of the tire that are not under a load are generally radiused as shown in the top portion of the tire 102 shown in FIG. 5 . Portions of the tire 102 in the contact area 16 , however, deform when under load.
- a piezoelectric device generates an electric potential in response to an applied mechanical stress. If the material is not short-circuited, the applied charge induces a voltage across the material. Thus, the piezoelectric devices 112 can detect deformation of portions of the tire 102 in contact with the road as it rotates, generating a voltage in response to this deformation.
- the piezoelectric devices 112 are connected to an electronics module 130 , which includes a processing device such as a digital signal processor (DSP), microcontroller or microprocessor, via conductors 132 .
- a processing device such as a digital signal processor (DSP), microcontroller or microprocessor, via conductors 132 .
- the processing device calculates information regarding selected parameters of the tire in response to signals received from the piezoelectric devices.
- Coupled means that the relevant elements co-operate or interact with each other regardless of whether they are in direct physical or electrical contact.
- embodiments of the invention may be implemented in discrete circuits, partially integrated circuits or fully integrated circuits and/or software.
- FIG. 6 is a sectional end view illustrating further aspects of the exemplary sensor system 1 10 .
- the piezoelectric devices 112 are sandwiched between conductive layers 134 acting as electrodes on both sides of the piezoelectric devices 112 .
- the electrodes 134 are connected to the conductors 132 on the substrate 114 with conductive glue 136 , such as silver-filled epoxy.
- Alternatives to the conductive glue 136 include solder materials or metal sheet laser weld connections. Further embodiments are envisioned wherein several piezoelectric devices 112 are attached on top of each other to create a multi-layer piezoelectric structure with increased output voltage.
- FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment that uses a substrate 114 made from PVDF (Polyvinylidene Fluoride), a material that can be polarized to exhibit piezoelectric properties.
- PVDF Polyvinylidene Fluoride
- the PVDF substrate 114 ′ has conductive layers added on both sides to form both the electrodes 134 and the conductors 132 . It is possible to polarize the PVDF film 114 ′ only under the electrodes 134 , so that the signal from the piezoelectric devices 112 is not influenced by strain in the PVDF film 114 ′ under the conductors 132 .
- FIG. 8 illustrates a portion of the sensor system 110 , showing some of the piezoelectric devices 112 and the electronics module 130 .
- One electrode 134 of each piezoelectric device 112 is connected separately by a conductor 132 to the electronics module 130 .
- the other electrode (not shown in FIG. 8 ) of each piezoelectric device 112 is connected to a common terminal.
- the bottom electrode 134 is common to all the piezoelectric devices 112 , and is connected to the common input of the electronics module 130 .
- the reverse arrangement with the common electrode on top is equally possible.
- FIG. 9 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating portions of the electronics module 130 .
- each of the piezoelectric devices 112 has one electrode 134 connected to a common terminal 140 of the electronics module 130 .
- the other electrode 134 of the piezoelectric devices 112 is connected to an input terminal of the electronics module 130 , where it splits, with one branch leading to input switches of a power conversion unit 150 , which is designed to convert the output of the piezoelectric devices 112 to a low impedance power supply suitable to power other portions of the electronics module 130 .
- the other branch of electrodes 134 is received by an input multiplexer 152 , which provides an output received by a digital-to-analog converter 154 .
- a signal processing unit 156 receives the output of the digital-to-analog converter 154 and is programmed to calculate the desired tire parameters in response to signals provided by the piezoelectric devices 112 .
- the electronic module 130 may contain additional circuits and sensors, such as temperature sensors and/or a pressure sensor, for example.
- Data output by the signal processing unit 156 are received by a transmitter 158 , which sends the data via an antenna 160 to the receiver 104 , which is typically situated in the vehicle upon which the tire is mounted.
- the antenna 160 is implemented in the form of conductors placed on the substrate 114 . Additional processing of the tire data can be accomplished by further processing devices associated with the receiver 104 .
- the input to the input multiplexer 152 has a high impedance so that it does not consume a significant portion of the energy generated by the piezoelectric film of the piezoelectric devices 112 .
- FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary alternative layout of the piezoelectric devices 112 .
- the devices 112 can be made in various shapes and located at various positions inside the tire or on the substrate 114 so as to be most sensitive to tire deformation in a particular area of the tire 102 . Further, the substrate 114 may have a varying width, as shown in FIG. 10 , to adapt better to the curved interior surface 108 of the tire 102 . As shown in FIG. 10 , some of the piezoelectric devices 112 would be situated primarily in the tread area 120 , while others would be situated primarily in the sidewall area 122 .
- the piezoelectric devices 112 are laid out on the substrate 114 to essentially cover the full inner circumference of the inside surface 108 in the longitudinal direction (direction the tire rotates, up-and-down the page in FIGS. 4 and 10 ). As shown in FIG. 5 , in some embodiments, the piezoelectric devices 112 are further situated to extend between the central tread area 120 and the region between tread and sidewall 122 in the direction transverse to the longitudinal axis. Accordingly, the substrate 114 illustrated in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4 and 10 defines a longitudinal length L (up and down the page) that is substantially larger than the transverse width dimension W. The illustrated piezoelectric devices 112 extend across the substrate 114 in the width direction W (across the drawing page).
- the piezoelectric devices 112 in the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 10 are arranged generally symmetrical in both the L and W directions. This facilitates gathering of data relating to the entire tire.
- the relatively small size of the piezoelectric device 112 in the longitudinal direction makes it possible to determine the shape and size of the contact area with good accuracy, and the electronics module 130 can switch among the piezoelectric devices 112 at a rate proportional to the wheel rotation frequency, such that the area under observation remains at one position irrespective of wheel rotation.
- the part of the tire 102 in contact with or close to the road surface is subject to stress which acts to deform the tire 102 .
- the piezoelectric devices 112 will also be deformed, the deformation primarily taking the form of a flexing of the elements 112 .
- This generates a voltage signal on the electrodes 134 of the piezoelectric devices 112 .
- the voltage is proportional to the flexing of the piezoelectric device 112 , thereby providing a signal indicative of the mechanical deformation of the tire 102 .
- the input multiplexer 152 enables the signal processing unit 156 to select the signal from any of the piezoelectric devices 112 for analysis.
- the processing device can receive output signals from selected ones of the piezoelectric devices.
- analyses can include, for example,
- the signal processing electronics After the tire rotation period has been measured, it is possible for the signal processing electronics to lock onto the contact area of the tire 102 by switching the input multiplexer 152 to new piezoelectric devices 112 as they arrive at the contact area 16 , selectively connecting the output of the appropriate piezoelectric devices 112 to the signal processing unit 156 . A continuous monitoring of the tire contact area 16 is therefore possible during driving.
- the operation of the power converter 150 runs in parallel to the signal processing unit 156 and associated devices, and is synchronized such that information from the piezoelectric devices 112 , in the form of voltage levels, is read by the signal processing electronics before the charge associated with the signal voltage is transferred to the power converter 150 .
- the maximum signal may occur as the piezoelectric device 112 enters or leaves the contact zone 16 , or at some point between these two events.
- the timing of the power converter 150 is therefore programmed in accordance with the layout of the piezoelectric devices 112 and the desired signal processing.
- the substrate 114 does not cover the whole length of the inner surface 108 nor the whole width. Such implementations will not be able to continuously monitor the contact area. However, if the area covered by the piezoelectric devices 112 corresponds to more than the maximum deformed area in the contact area, much information is available even if only sampled once per wheel rotation.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Transportation (AREA)
- Measuring Fluid Pressure (AREA)
- Force Measurement Appropriate To Specific Purposes (AREA)
- Tires In General (AREA)
- Arrangements For Transmission Of Measured Signals (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- Many different types of sensor devices exist for providing information about the tires of a wheeled vehicle. Features such as automatic stability and traction control in cars have made it necessary to obtain information about the interaction between the tires and the road surface. Such information is available from several sources, including ABS sensors, tire pressure measurement systems, and accelerometers and gyros located in the vehicle.
- It is also desirable to obtain direct information about the tire-road interface. Known sensors for providing such direct information typically are mounted to the tire in various locations, such as in the tread, sidewall, inflation stem, etc. Existing sensor systems, however, tend to be complicated to operate and difficult to mount to the tire. Further, known tire sensor systems typically use only a single sensor attached to the tire lining or embedded in the tread. This limits the amount of data available for analysis. In particular, it is desirable to observe the tire deformation at both the sidewalls and in the tread, and to be able to observe short-term fluctuations (less than one wheel revolution) in the forces between tire and road.
- Moreover, such sensors require an energy source to power the device—typically a battery. Eliminating the battery as the energy source for tire-mounted sensors is desirable from cost, reliability and environmental standpoints.
- For these and other reasons, there is a need for the present invention.
- In accordance with embodiments of the invention, a tire system includes a plurality of piezoelectric devices mounted to the tire. The piezoelectric devices provide output signals in response to deformation of the tire. A processor has input terminals for receiving the signals from the piezoelectric devices, and the processor is programmed to determine tire parameters in response to the output signals from the piezoelectric devices. A power converter has input terminals for receiving the signals from the piezoelectric devices, and the power converter is connected to the processor to power the processor.
- Embodiments of the invention are better understood with reference to the following drawings. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily to scale relative to each other. Like reference numerals designate corresponding similar parts.
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FIG. 1 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating aspects of a typical tire. -
FIG. 2 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating portions of a tire system in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention. -
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a tire, illustrating further aspects of a tire system accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention. -
FIG. 4 is a top view schematically illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a sensor system in accordance with aspects of the present invention. -
FIG. 5 is a sectional end view illustrating a portion of a tire having a sensor system mounted to an inside surface thereof in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. -
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of portions of an exemplary embodiment of a sensor system in accordance with aspects of the present invention. -
FIG. 7 is a sectional view of portions of another exemplary embodiment of a sensor system in accordance with aspects of the present invention. -
FIG. 8 illustrates a portion of an exemplary sensor system, showing connections between piezoelectric devices an electronics module in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention. -
FIG. 9 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating portions of an electronics module in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention. -
FIG. 10 is a top view schematically illustrating an exemplary embodiment of an alternative sensor system in accordance with aspects of the present invention. - In the following Detailed Description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. Regarding embodiments disclosed, the term “exemplary” is merely meant as an example, rather than the best or optimal. In this regard, directional terminology, such as “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “back,” “leading,” “trailing,” etc., is used with reference to the orientation of the Figure(s) being described. Because components of embodiments of the present invention can be positioned in a number of different orientations, the directional terminology is used for purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. In addition, while a particular feature or aspect of an embodiment may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such feature or aspect may be combined with one or more other features or aspects of the other implementations as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application. The following detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.
- Many different types of wheeled vehicles use pneumatic tires (in this specification, the term tire generally refers to a pneumatic tire). Typically, a tire is mounted on the rim of a vehicle wheel and is in contact with a surface upon which the vehicle travels, such as a road surface.
FIG. 1 conceptually illustrates portions of a typical tire. Thetire 10 includes anouter periphery 12 that typically has a tread formed about its circumference for contacting anunderlying surface 14. The outerperipheral portion 12 has a constant circumferential length which is substantially round. However, under vehicle load, theouter periphery 12 has aflattened area 16 at the tire-to-road surface interface. Theportion 16 of a tire that is in actual contact with the road surface—the bearing surface of thetire 10—is referred to as the contact area. - Determining the length of a tire's
contact area 16, or bearing surface, can be used to calculate desired tire parameters and accordingly, can provide much useful information about the tire. For example, the shape or length of the contact area can have a great effect on the handling of the vehicle to which the tire is mounted. The length of the contact area varies in relation to the inflation pressure of the tire under a constant vehicle load. Thus, if the vehicle load is constant, increasing the inflation pressure shortens the contact area, and decreasing the inflation pressure lengthens the contact area. -
FIG. 2 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating atire system 100 in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Thesystem 100 includes atire 102 with asensor system 110 that transmits information about thetire 102 to areceiver 104. Thereceiver 104 can be located in a vehicle to which thetire 102 is mounted, or it can be separate from any such vehicle. Information can be transmitted from thesensor system 110 to thereceiver 104 in any suitable manner. Thesensor system 110 outputs signals representing desired parameters of thetire 102, such as information about the contact area, sidewall deflection, tire pressure, etc. - In exemplary embodiments of the invention, the
sensor system 110 includes a plurality of piezoelectric devices mounted on theinner surface 108 of thetire 102.FIG. 3 conceptually illustrates further aspects of thetire system 100, showingpiezoelectric devices 112 mounted to theinside surface 108 of thetire 102, opposite thetread 106.FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of thesensor system 110, in which thepiezoelectric devices 112 are situated on aflexible substrate 114 that is mountable to theinside surface 108 of thetire 102. Thesubstrate 114 may be a flexible film made from a suitable plastic material. -
FIG. 5 is an end view illustrating a portion of thetire 102 with thesubstrate 114 mounted to theinside surface 108 with an adhesive, for example. Portions of theinner surface 108 opposite portions of the tire that are not under a load are generally radiused as shown in the top portion of thetire 102 shown inFIG. 5 . Portions of thetire 102 in thecontact area 16, however, deform when under load. A piezoelectric device generates an electric potential in response to an applied mechanical stress. If the material is not short-circuited, the applied charge induces a voltage across the material. Thus, thepiezoelectric devices 112 can detect deformation of portions of thetire 102 in contact with the road as it rotates, generating a voltage in response to this deformation. Thepiezoelectric devices 112 are connected to anelectronics module 130, which includes a processing device such as a digital signal processor (DSP), microcontroller or microprocessor, viaconductors 132. In accordance with certain aspects of the invention, the processing device calculates information regarding selected parameters of the tire in response to signals received from the piezoelectric devices. - The terms “coupled,” “connected,” along with derivatives and other similar terms are meant to indicate that the relevant elements co-operate or interact with each other regardless of whether they are in direct physical or electrical contact. Furthermore, it should be understood that embodiments of the invention may be implemented in discrete circuits, partially integrated circuits or fully integrated circuits and/or software.
-
FIG. 6 is a sectional end view illustrating further aspects of the exemplary sensor system 1 10. Thepiezoelectric devices 112 are sandwiched betweenconductive layers 134 acting as electrodes on both sides of thepiezoelectric devices 112. Theelectrodes 134 are connected to theconductors 132 on thesubstrate 114 withconductive glue 136, such as silver-filled epoxy. Alternatives to theconductive glue 136 include solder materials or metal sheet laser weld connections. Further embodiments are envisioned wherein severalpiezoelectric devices 112 are attached on top of each other to create a multi-layer piezoelectric structure with increased output voltage. -
FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment that uses asubstrate 114 made from PVDF (Polyvinylidene Fluoride), a material that can be polarized to exhibit piezoelectric properties. This makes it possible to create thepiezoelectric devices 112 in thesubstrate 114 itself, rather than attaching separate devices to thesubstrate 114. ThePVDF substrate 114′ has conductive layers added on both sides to form both theelectrodes 134 and theconductors 132. It is possible to polarize thePVDF film 114′ only under theelectrodes 134, so that the signal from thepiezoelectric devices 112 is not influenced by strain in thePVDF film 114′ under theconductors 132. -
FIG. 8 illustrates a portion of thesensor system 110, showing some of thepiezoelectric devices 112 and theelectronics module 130. Oneelectrode 134 of eachpiezoelectric device 112 is connected separately by aconductor 132 to theelectronics module 130. The other electrode (not shown inFIG. 8 ) of eachpiezoelectric device 112 is connected to a common terminal. In the embodiments illustrated inFIGS. 6 and 7 , thebottom electrode 134 is common to all thepiezoelectric devices 112, and is connected to the common input of theelectronics module 130. The reverse arrangement with the common electrode on top is equally possible. -
FIG. 9 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating portions of theelectronics module 130. As noted above, each of thepiezoelectric devices 112 has oneelectrode 134 connected to acommon terminal 140 of theelectronics module 130. Theother electrode 134 of thepiezoelectric devices 112 is connected to an input terminal of theelectronics module 130, where it splits, with one branch leading to input switches of apower conversion unit 150, which is designed to convert the output of thepiezoelectric devices 112 to a low impedance power supply suitable to power other portions of theelectronics module 130. The other branch ofelectrodes 134 is received by aninput multiplexer 152, which provides an output received by a digital-to-analog converter 154. Asignal processing unit 156 receives the output of the digital-to-analog converter 154 and is programmed to calculate the desired tire parameters in response to signals provided by thepiezoelectric devices 112. Theelectronic module 130 may contain additional circuits and sensors, such as temperature sensors and/or a pressure sensor, for example. Data output by thesignal processing unit 156 are received by atransmitter 158, which sends the data via anantenna 160 to thereceiver 104, which is typically situated in the vehicle upon which the tire is mounted. In certain embodiments, theantenna 160 is implemented in the form of conductors placed on thesubstrate 114. Additional processing of the tire data can be accomplished by further processing devices associated with thereceiver 104. The input to theinput multiplexer 152 has a high impedance so that it does not consume a significant portion of the energy generated by the piezoelectric film of thepiezoelectric devices 112. -
FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary alternative layout of thepiezoelectric devices 112. Thedevices 112 can be made in various shapes and located at various positions inside the tire or on thesubstrate 114 so as to be most sensitive to tire deformation in a particular area of thetire 102. Further, thesubstrate 114 may have a varying width, as shown inFIG. 10 , to adapt better to the curvedinterior surface 108 of thetire 102. As shown inFIG. 10 , some of thepiezoelectric devices 112 would be situated primarily in thetread area 120, while others would be situated primarily in thesidewall area 122. - In the
exemplary systems 110 shown inFIGS. 4 and 10 , thepiezoelectric devices 112 are laid out on thesubstrate 114 to essentially cover the full inner circumference of theinside surface 108 in the longitudinal direction (direction the tire rotates, up-and-down the page inFIGS. 4 and 10 ). As shown inFIG. 5 , in some embodiments, thepiezoelectric devices 112 are further situated to extend between thecentral tread area 120 and the region between tread andsidewall 122 in the direction transverse to the longitudinal axis. Accordingly, thesubstrate 114 illustrated in the embodiments shown inFIGS. 4 and 10 defines a longitudinal length L (up and down the page) that is substantially larger than the transverse width dimension W. The illustratedpiezoelectric devices 112 extend across thesubstrate 114 in the width direction W (across the drawing page). - Moreover, the
piezoelectric devices 112 in the embodiments illustrated inFIGS. 4 and 10 are arranged generally symmetrical in both the L and W directions. This facilitates gathering of data relating to the entire tire. For example, the relatively small size of thepiezoelectric device 112 in the longitudinal direction makes it possible to determine the shape and size of the contact area with good accuracy, and theelectronics module 130 can switch among thepiezoelectric devices 112 at a rate proportional to the wheel rotation frequency, such that the area under observation remains at one position irrespective of wheel rotation. - Thus, when the
tire 102 rotates during driving of the vehicle, the part of thetire 102 in contact with or close to the road surface is subject to stress which acts to deform thetire 102. Thepiezoelectric devices 112 will also be deformed, the deformation primarily taking the form of a flexing of theelements 112. This generates a voltage signal on theelectrodes 134 of thepiezoelectric devices 112. The voltage is proportional to the flexing of thepiezoelectric device 112, thereby providing a signal indicative of the mechanical deformation of thetire 102. By selectively placing thepiezoelectric devices 112 on different parts of thesubstrate 114, signals can be obtained that contain information about the deformation of different areas of thetire 102. - The
input multiplexer 152 enables thesignal processing unit 156 to select the signal from any of thepiezoelectric devices 112 for analysis. Thus, by appropriately operating theinput multiplexer 152, the processing device can receive output signals from selected ones of the piezoelectric devices. Such analyses can include, for example, -
- Detection of the time when an electrode enters and leaves the contact area between the road and the tire. This will, after one or more iterations, provide information about the wheel rotation period and a first estimate of the size of the contact area.
- Detection of signals from electrodes which are placed in the transition zone between tire tread and sidewall. This will provide information about the deformation of the sidewall, which is related to the air pressure of the tire and the dynamic forces due to linear and angular acceleration of the vehicle.
- Detection of difference signals between electrodes which are placed in the transition zones between tire tread and the inner and outer sidewalls. This provides additional information about forces acting on the wheel.
- Detection of signals from electrodes placed on the tread. This will provide information about the contact between the tire and the road.
- After the tire rotation period has been measured, it is possible for the signal processing electronics to lock onto the contact area of the
tire 102 by switching theinput multiplexer 152 to newpiezoelectric devices 112 as they arrive at thecontact area 16, selectively connecting the output of the appropriatepiezoelectric devices 112 to thesignal processing unit 156. A continuous monitoring of thetire contact area 16 is therefore possible during driving. - The operation of the
power converter 150 runs in parallel to thesignal processing unit 156 and associated devices, and is synchronized such that information from thepiezoelectric devices 112, in the form of voltage levels, is read by the signal processing electronics before the charge associated with the signal voltage is transferred to thepower converter 150. Depending on the placement of thepiezoelectric devices 112, the maximum signal may occur as thepiezoelectric device 112 enters or leaves thecontact zone 16, or at some point between these two events. The timing of thepower converter 150 is therefore programmed in accordance with the layout of thepiezoelectric devices 112 and the desired signal processing. - Alternative embodiments of the invention are envisioned where the
substrate 114 does not cover the whole length of theinner surface 108 nor the whole width. Such implementations will not be able to continuously monitor the contact area. However, if the area covered by thepiezoelectric devices 112 corresponds to more than the maximum deformed area in the contact area, much information is available even if only sampled once per wheel rotation. - Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
Claims (23)
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