KR102053672B1 - Tire condition monitoring system - Google Patents

Abstract

Tire condition monitoring system according to the present invention includes a piezoelectric sensor unit including a piezoelectric element attached to the inner surface of the tire; And a control unit for analyzing a signal detected from the piezoelectric sensor unit, wherein the piezoelectric element is formed in a fabric shape, and the control unit compares the signal value received from the piezoelectric sensor unit with a predetermined deformation value to compare the signal value. If it is larger than the deformation value, it may be controlled to display an alarm signal.

Description

Tire Condition Monitoring System {TIRE CONDITION MONITORING SYSTEM}

The present invention relates to a tire condition monitoring system and method, and more particularly, to a tire condition monitoring system and method capable of monitoring the deformation of a tire using a fabric type piezoelectric sensor and a distance sensor.

As a technology for providing driver safety and convenience, the vehicle is equipped with a vehicle radar, tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), a remote starter, and a geographic information system. The tire is a part that is in direct contact with the road to transmit the power of the vehicle to the road surface, and the condition of the tire is directly related to the driver's safety. An important factor in monitoring the condition of the tire is air pressure, and the air pressure detecting device (TPMS) is a device that detects the air pressure and temperature in the tire in real time and informs the driver through the instrument panel.

The air pressure sensing device is divided into direct and indirect methods, and the direct method is a TPMS type in which a sensor is attached to an air inlet valve of a tire, and is composed of a microcontroller (MCU), a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, an RF transmitter, and a battery. The indirect method can monitor the air pressure of the tire based on the information on the number of revolutions of the wheel obtained from the Anti-look Break System (ABS). have.

On the other hand, when driving at high speed under low air pressure (for example, 150km / s or more), if the tire treads off the ground due to the centrifugal force received by the tread of the tire and the air pressure inside the tire, Standing wave phenomenon may be transmitted in a direction. When the vehicle continues to run in a standing wave state, the tire may not be able to withstand the centrifugal force and is damaged, causing a big accident during driving.

Tire defect warning device of the Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2014-0067431 in the prior art related to the present invention is to install the piezoelectric sensor to the tire and the signal value output from the piezoelectric sensor by referring to the comparison table stored in advance to detect the defect of the tire Disclosed is a technique for judging and informing a driver to repair or replace a tire. However, the prior art simply judges a change in tire wear, tensile force, etc. based on the signal value output from the piezoelectric sensor, and only repairs and replaces the tire before driving, and thus, the air pressure abnormality during driving There is no disclosure of a technology that can detect a standing wave of a tire and notify the driver of the tire to prevent accidents caused by standing waves in actual driving.

Therefore, it can detect the deformation of the tire due to the standing wave while driving and inform the driver in advance to prevent accidents, and also monitor the tire condition, which can prevent the tire's abnormal wear by identifying the wheel alignment and wheel balancing status. Development of systems and methods would be necessary.

Publication No. 10-2014-0067431 (June 05, 2014)

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to detect the deformation of the tire according to the standing wave while driving and to inform the driver to prevent the accident in advance, and also the wheel alignment state and the wheel balancing state It is to provide a tire condition monitoring system and method that can prevent the abnormal wear of the tire at the source by grasping.

Tire condition monitoring system according to the present invention includes a piezoelectric sensor unit including a piezoelectric element attached to the inner surface of the tire; And a control unit for analyzing a signal detected from the piezoelectric sensor unit, wherein the piezoelectric element is formed in a fabric shape, and the control unit compares the signal value received from the piezoelectric sensor unit with a predetermined deformation value to compare the signal value. When the deformation value is greater than the deformation value, the control signal is displayed to display an alarm signal, and the surface of the piezoelectric element may include an emboss shape. In this case, the tire condition monitoring system further comprises an adhesive applied to the surface including the embossed shape, the piezoelectric element is attached to the inside of the side wall disposed on both sides of the tire, the piezoelectric element is the It may include a first piezoelectric element disposed in a continuously integrated form along the circumference in the side wall of one side and a second piezoelectric element disposed intermittently along the circumference in the side wall of the other side of the tire. . In this case, when the first signal value received from the first piezoelectric element is greater than the deformation value, the controller compares the second signal values received from the second piezoelectric element with each other to determine a portion of the plurality of continuous lines. When the two signal values have a difference greater than or equal to a predetermined value from some other second signal values, it is determined as a standing wave.

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The tire condition monitoring system according to the present invention has the effect of protecting the safety of the driver by preventing the damage of the tire in advance by warning the driver by accurately determining whether the tire is a vibration due to a bad road surface or a standing wave while driving. There is.

In addition, by determining the wheel alignment state, tire deformation, and wheel deformation through the piezoelectric sensor and the distance sensor, it is possible to extend the life of the tire by preventing abnormal wear of the tire in advance.

In addition, using a piezoelectric sensor in the form of a fabric, there is an effect that can improve the precision and durability of the sensor.

1 is a block diagram of a tire condition monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 and 3 are diagrams showing the attachment state of the piezoelectric sensor to the tire according to the embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a view illustrating a state in which a distance sensor is attached to a tire according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
5 and 6 are flowcharts showing the operation of the tire condition monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described through exemplary drawings for the convenience of description. In describing the reference numerals in the components of each drawing, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible even though they are shown in different drawings.

The terms or words used in this specification and claims are not to be limited to the ordinary or dictionary meanings, and the principle that the inventor may appropriately define the concept of terms in order to best describe his or her invention in the best way. It should be interpreted as meaning and concept corresponding to the technical idea of the present invention. In addition, in describing the components of the embodiments of the present disclosure, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. These terms are only for distinguishing the components from other components, and the nature, order or order of the components are not limited by the terms. When a component is described as being 'connected' or 'coupled' to another component, the component may be directly connected or coupled to the other component, but there is another component between the component and the other component. It is to be understood that the elements may be 'connected' or 'coupled'.

 Therefore, the embodiments described in the specification and the drawings shown in the drawings are only the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical idea of the present invention, various equivalents that may be substituted for them at the time of the present application It should be understood that there may be water and variations. In addition, detailed descriptions of well-known functions and configurations that may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention will be omitted.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described embodiments of the present invention; 1 is a block diagram of a tire condition monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tire condition monitoring system 1000 obtains signal values according to air pressure, temperature, vibration, and deformation of a tire from a plurality of sensors mounted on a tire and transmits the signal values to a controller of the vehicle 100. And a control unit 200 which determines the state of the tire by comparing the signal value received from the tire sensor unit with a preset signal value.

The tire sensor unit 100 may include a sensor that detects a tire state such as air pressure, temperature, vibration, and deformation of a tire, and a processing sensor controller to process a signal value measured from the sensor. The sensor control unit can process a sensor that can detect a tire's condition such as tire pressure, temperature, vibration, and deformation and a signal value measured by the sensor. The sensor controller receives a signal value output from each sensor and converts the signal value into a digital signal, and a radio frequency (RF) for transmitting the measured signal value to the control unit 200 of the vehicle. It may include a wireless communication unit having a transmitter and a battery for supplying power to the microcontroller unit and the wireless communication unit.

The wireless communication unit may transmit the signal value measured by the tire sensor unit 100 to the wireless communication unit 260 of the controller 200 through short range wireless communication such as Bluetooth, infrared ray, or Zigbee. The wireless communication unit 150 may be configured to be included in each sensor unit.

The tire sensor unit 100 may include a pressure sensor unit 130 and a temperature sensor unit 140 for detecting the air pressure or temperature of the tire. The pressure sensor unit 130 and the temperature sensor unit 140 may be formed of an air pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

The tire sensor unit 100 may include a piezoelectric sensor unit 110. The piezoelectric sensor unit 110 is a microcontroller unit for processing the signals generated from the piezoelectric element (Piezoelectric Materials) and the piezoelectric element generated by the vibration or deformation generated from the tire while driving the vehicle to the control unit 200 And it may include a wireless communication unit. The piezoelectric sensor unit 110 may store the voltage output from the piezoelectric element in the battery through a power management circuit, and the energy stored in the battery may be used as the driving power of the piezoelectric sensor unit. The piezoelectric sensor may be attached to the tire to detect deformation of the tire while driving the vehicle. In the present embodiment may include a piezoelectric sensor in the form of a fabric. A piezoelectric sensor in the form of a fabric may be attached to the inner side of the tire.

The tire sensor unit 100 may include the distance sensor unit 120. The distance sensor unit 120 may measure the distance of the tire and the width of the tire according to changes in the load at the stop, the speed at the time of driving, the air pressure, and the like. The distance sensor unit 120 may include a light emitting sensor and a light receiving sensor.

The control unit 200 monitors the state of the tire in real time using signal values received from each sensor unit through the wireless communication unit 260, and outputs 240 for displaying the tire state information monitored by the alarm generation or the instrument panel. You can inform the driver through The controller 200 may include a vehicle control state unit 210, a tire state determination unit 220, a vehicle control unit 230, an output unit 240, and the like, which manage information on driving conditions such as a current vehicle speed and a steering position. Memory 250 may be included.

The controller may include a tire state determiner 220. The tire state determination unit 220 may determine the state of the tire by comparing the signal value received from each sensor with a look-up table previously stored in the memory 250.

The controller may include a vehicle controller 230. The vehicle controller 230 may control the vehicle to reduce the speed of the vehicle by receiving a control command according to the currently determined tire state. When the tire state determination unit 220 determines that the tire deformation value exceeds a preset deformation value, the vehicle control unit 230 may control a vehicle acceleration device to control the speed of the vehicle. Can be controlled to lower automatically.

The memory 250 of the controller may store a lookup table that is preset in the current vehicle specification according to the air pressure, temperature, tire deformation value, tire flatness ratio, etc. for the normal state of the tire according to the current vehicle specification. The look-up table may be information on a tire flatness ratio or a tire flatness ratio in accordance with a tire state element, air pressure, temperature, and tire flatness ratio.

Tire deformation of the tire during vehicle driving is the most important factor, and when the tire pressure is low, a large accident may occur due to a standing wave phenomenon during high-speed driving (for example, 150 km / s). For example, when the tire pressure is low, the tire pressure sensor (TPMS) may give attention to the driver, but if the driver ignores the caution and runs at high speed, the driver may be exposed to a large accident due to tire damage. There is no choice but to. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a tire condition monitoring system using a piezoelectric sensor that monitors a state deformation of a tire while driving in real time to notify a driver that a standing wave may occur will be described below.

2 is a view showing a state in which a piezoelectric sensor is attached to a tire according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the tire condition monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The piezoelectric element in this embodiment can be attached to the inner rubber layer of the tire. Specifically, it can be attached to the inner side wall of the tire. The piezoelectric elements 111 may be attached in one integrated continuous first shape along the circumference of the sidewall, or may be attached in a second shape, each having a predetermined length and intermittently independently on the circumference of the sidewall, respectively. have. That is, the piezoelectric element 111 may be attached to the side wall of the tire where the most deformation occurs due to the standing wave phenomenon when the tire air pressure is low. The first piezoelectric element 111a may be attached to the left side of the sidewall of the tire, and the second piezoelectric element 111b may be attached to the right side of the facing sidewall. Here, the first piezoelectric element 111a and the second piezoelectric element 111b attached to one tire are attached with the same attachment form, or the first piezoelectric element 111a is attached to the one integrated first form, and The two piezoelectric elements 111b may be attached in different forms to each of the independent second forms, and the first signal value and the second signal value according to each form may be transmitted to the tire state determination unit of the controller, respectively.

The piezoelectric sensor unit 110 may transmit the first signal value and the second signal value generated according to the first and second attachment forms to the tire state determination unit 220 of the controller through wireless communication. The tire condition determination unit 220 may compare the first signal value according to the first aspect with a deformation value preset in the memory, and when the signal value is larger than the deformation value, the tire state determination unit 220 may control to display an alarm signal according to the tire deformation through the output unit. Can be. Meanwhile, even when it is determined that the first signal value received from the piezoelectric sensor unit 110 is greater than a predetermined deformation value, the tire state determination unit 220 may not determine whether the determination is based on an irregular road surface condition or a standing wave. . Therefore, when the first signal value is greater than the predetermined deformation value, the tire state determination unit 220 continuously compares the second signal values (signal values measured from each piezoelectric element independently attached) to each other. When a plurality of second signal values that are continuous at have a preset difference value compared to other second signal values that are consecutive, the second wave may be determined as a standing wave. That is, the standing wave causes severe vibration on the circumference of the sidewall of the tire immediately after the tire is dropped off the ground, so that the tire state determination unit 220 generates the second signal of the continuous part (a, b, c, d, e). The values may be determined as standing waves when the values have a larger signal value than the second signal values of other consecutive portions f, g, h, i, and j. In addition, the tire condition determination unit 220 measures the change of the second signal value respectively input in the predetermined measurement time range, and when the measured signal value has a predetermined period and the magnitude of the signal value changes, the standing wave You can also judge. Accordingly, the tire state determination unit 220 may be configured such that the first signal value and the second signal value input from piezoelectric elements having different attachment shapes to one tire differ from other consecutive signal groups. Alternatively, by determining whether the second signal value changes with a predetermined period, it is possible to accurately determine a standing wave generated due to low air pressure, not according to the condition of the road surface, and display a warning to the driver. The vehicle controller 230 may control the vehicle to reduce the speed of the vehicle by receiving a control command according to the currently determined tire state.

The piezoelectric element 111 in the present embodiment may be a piezoelectric element in the form of a fabric. For example, the piezoelectric element 111 may be a piezoelectric element in the form of a woven fabric including a plurality of wefts and warps. The weft and warp yarns may each comprise a conductive center that serves as an electrode and a piezoelectric body surrounding the periphery thereof. In addition, the piezoelectric element 111 may transmit electricity generated by vibration or deformation to a microcontroller unit and a battery of the piezoelectric sensor unit through a wire connected to the weft and the warp. The piezoelectric sensor may be mounted on a wheel of a tire in the same form as a tire inflation pressure detector (TPMS) or mounted on a printed circuit board of the inflation pressure detector (TPMS). The length L of the piezoelectric element 111 may have a predetermined length according to the first form and the second form. The piezoelectric body may include a piezoelectric polymer, a piezoelectric composite material combining the piezoelectric polymer and the piezoelectric ceramic material. The piezoelectric body may include lead zirconate titanate (PZT), PVDF, and poly lactic acid. One surface of the piezoelectric element 111 may be coated with an adhesive for attaching to the inner surface of the tire described above. At this time, the adhesive may be any one selected from epoxy, cement glue and the like. Since the adhesive is applied to the embossed surface where wefts and warps intersect with each other, the contact area can be much larger than that on the plane. In addition, it is possible to prevent the piezoelectric element from being separated from the inner side of the tire by vibrating generated during traveling by applying a sealing material made of silicone or rubber having flexibility on the piezoelectric element attached inside the sidewall.

Hereinafter, the operation of the tire condition monitoring system according to the present embodiment will be described. The distance sensor unit 120 may be attached to an outer surface of the rim 321 of the tire, and may include a light emitting sensor and a light receiving sensor to determine the height H of the tread of the tire in contact with the road surface and the width W of the sidewall. The measured signal value may be transmitted to the controller through wireless communication. The distance sensor unit 120 is a distance sensor for measuring a distance of a specific point, the light receiving sensor detects the light propagated from the light emitting sensor and can measure the distance by using the travel time, ultrasonic sensor, infrared sensor, It can be made of either a radar sensor or an optical sensor. The distance sensor unit 120 may transmit the measured signal value to the tire state determination unit of the controller through the wireless communication unit. The tire state determination unit may calculate the flat ratio by dividing the tire height H by the cross-sectional width W of the tire using the received signal values H and W, and calculate the deformation ratio by comparing with the preset flat ratio. Subsequently, the tire state determination unit may determine the wheel alignment state and the wheel balancing state by comparing the calculated flat ratio and deformation ratio with the preset flat ratio and deformation ratio. When the tire condition determination unit does not match the preset flatness ratio and deformation ratio, the tire state determination unit may determine that the wheel alignment state and the wheel balancing state are abnormal, and may notify the driver by displaying an alarm notification or an instrument panel. The tire state determination unit may determine the abnormal state of the tire even while driving by comparing the preset flat ratio and the deformation ratio according to the steering information with the calculated flat ratio and the deformation ratio with reference to the vehicle steering information obtained from the vehicle control state unit. In other words, by using the tire flatness ratio and strain ratio measured through the distance sensor, the tire condition detection unit detects a poor wheel alignment and wheel balancing and notifies the driver of this, and thus, the driver proactively prevents tire wear and extends the life of the tire. You can. In addition, it is possible to calculate the flat ratio and the deformation ratio of the tire according to the loading load during the stop, and to calculate the weight of the vehicle compared to the flat ratio and the deformation ratio according to the preset loading load.

In the above description, all elements constituting the embodiments of the present invention are described as being combined or operating in combination, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to the embodiments. In other words, within the scope of the present invention, all of the components may be selectively operated in combination with one or more. In addition, the terms such as 'comprise', 'comprise' or 'having' described above mean that a corresponding component may be included unless otherwise stated, and thus, other components are excluded. It should be construed that it may further include other components instead. All terms, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art unless otherwise defined. Terms used generally, such as terms defined in a dictionary, should be interpreted to coincide with the contextual meaning of the related art, and shall not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal sense unless clearly defined in the present invention.

The above description is merely illustrative of the technical idea of the present invention, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains may make various modifications and changes without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are not intended to limit the technical idea of the present invention but to describe the present invention, and the scope of the technical idea of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. The protection scope of the present invention should be interpreted by the following claims, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent thereto should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention.

100: tire sensor unit
110: piezoelectric sensor unit
111, 111a, 111b: piezoelectric element
112: sensor processing unit
120: distance sensor unit
130: pressure sensor
140: temperature sensor unit
150: wireless communication unit
200: control unit
210: vehicle control status unit
220: tire condition determination unit
230: vehicle control unit
240: output unit
250: memory
260: wireless communication unit
311: tire tread
312: tire sidewall
320: wheel
321: tranny
1000: tire condition monitoring system

Claims (2)

A piezoelectric sensor unit including a piezoelectric element attached to an inner side of the tire; And
It includes a control unit for analyzing the signal detected from the piezoelectric sensor unit,
The piezoelectric element is formed in the form of a fabric,
The control unit compares the signal value received from the piezoelectric sensor unit with a preset deformation value and controls to display an alarm signal when the signal value is larger than the deformation value.
The surface of the piezoelectric element includes an emboss shape, and further comprises an adhesive applied to the surface including the emboss shape,
The piezoelectric element is attached to the inside of the side wall disposed on both sides of the tire,
The piezoelectric element may be intermittently disposed along the circumference of the first piezoelectric element and the side wall of the other side of the tire, the piezoelectric element being continuously integrated into the sidewall of the side of the tire. It includes a piezoelectric element,
If the first signal value received from the first piezoelectric element is greater than the deformation value, the controller compares the second signal values received from the second piezoelectric element to each other and the second signal value which is continuous at a determination point. And a tire condition monitoring system for determining that the standing wave is more than a predetermined value different from some other second signal values.
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