Apparatus and method for determining load weight
AssigneeBendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
InventorsJoseph M. Macnamara, Jon D. Intagliata
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A controller for determining a load weight associated with a plurality of pneumatically independent circuits of a vehicle suspension system is adapted to identify each of the respective pneumatically independent circuits, in turn, as a currently selected one of the pneumatically independent circuits, measure a respective pneumatic pressure of the currently selected one of the pneumatically independent circuits, determine a calculated pneumatic pressure based on the respective measured pneumatic pressures of the pneumatically independent circuits, determine the load weight based on the calculated pneumatic pressure, and control an operation of a function of an associated vehicle based on the load weight.
Claims20
A controller for determining a load weight associated with a plurality of pneumatically independent circuits of a vehicle suspension system, the controller adapted to:
- identify each of the respective pneumatically independent circuits, in turn, as a currently selected one of the pneumatically independent circuits;
- measure a respective pneumatic pressure of the currently selected one of the pneumatically independent circuits;
- determine a calculated pneumatic pressure based on the respective measured pneumatic pressures of the pneumatically independent circuits;
- determine the load weight based on the calculated pneumatic pressure;
- and
- control an operation of a function of an associated vehicle based on the load weight.
A vehicle system, comprising:
- a plurality of pneumatically independent circuits of an associated suspension system;
- an automated braking system including a plurality of respective automatically controlled brakes;
- and
- a controller for controlling the operation of the automated braking system, the controller adapted to:
- identify each of the respective pneumatically independent circuits as a currently selected one of the pneumatically independent circuits;
- measure a respective pneumatic pressure of the currently selected one of the pneumatically independent circuits;
- determine a calculated pneumatic pressure based on the respective measured pneumatic pressures of the pneumatically independent circuits;
- determine the load weight based on the calculated pneumatic pressure;
- and
- control an operation of a function of an associated vehicle based on the load weight.
A method for controlling an operation of a function of an associated vehicle, the method comprising:
- identifying each of a plurality of respective pneumatically independent circuits, in turn, as a currently selected one of the pneumatically independent circuits;
- measuring a respective pneumatic pressure of the currently selected one of the pneumatically independent circuits;
- determining a calculated pneumatic pressure based on the respective measured pneumatic pressures of the pneumatically independent circuits;
- determining the load weight based on the calculated pneumatic pressure;
- and
- controlling an operation of a function of an associated vehicle based on the load weight.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.