# US 12,000,727 B2 · Vehicle weight distribution determination > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,000,727 B2 - Document ID: US12000727B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/819,304 - Filed: 2022-08-11 - Published: 2022-12-01 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-13 - Assignees: Tusimple, Inc. - Applicants: Tusimple, Inc. - Inventors: Kun Zhang; Xiaoling Han; Zehua Huang; Charles A. Price - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000727B2 ## CPC - G01G 19/086: {wherein the vehicle mass is dynamically estimated} - B60T 7/18: operated by wayside apparatus - B60T 7/20: specially for trailers, e.g. in case of uncoupling of {or overrunning by} trailer (inertia-actuated overrun brakes B60T13/08) - B60T 7/22: initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle {, or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle} - B60T 8/1708: {for lorries or tractor-trailer combinations} - B60T 8/1766: Proportioning of brake forces according to vehicle axle loads, e.g. front to rear of vehicle - B60T 8/1887: {especially adapted for tractor-trailer combinations} - B60W 30/18027: {Drive off, accelerating from standstill} - B60W 40/13: Load or weight - B60W 50/0225: {Failure correction strategy} - B60W 50/029: Adapting to failures or work around with other constraints, e.g. circumvention by avoiding use of failed parts - B60C 23/0416: {allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right} - B60G 2400/61: Load distribution - B60T 2201/02: Active or adaptive cruise control system; Distance control - B60T 2240/03: Tyre sensors - B60T 2240/06: Wheel load; Wheel lift - B60W 2040/1307: {Load distribution on each wheel suspension} - B60W 2050/0215: {Sensor drifts or sensor failures} - B60W 2300/147: Road trains - B60W 2530/20: Tyre data - B60W 2710/182: Brake pressure, e.g. of fluid or between pad and disc - G01G: WEIGHING (sorting by weighing B07C5/16) - B60T: VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL (electrodynamic brake systems for vehicle, in general B60L; brakes per se, i.e. devices where braking effect occurs, including ultimate brake actuators, F16D); ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - B60C: VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES - B60G: VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS (air-cushion vehicles B60V; {cycle suspensions B62K25/00}) ## Abstract Techniques are described for determining weight distribution of a vehicle. A method of performing autonomous driving operation includes determining a vehicle weight distribution that values for each axle of the vehicle that describe weight or pressure applied on a respective axle. The values of the vehicle weight distribution are determined by removing at least one value that is outside a range of pre-determined values from a set of sensor values. The method further includes determining a driving-related operation of the vehicle weight distribution. For example, the driving-related operation may include determining a braking amount for each axle and/or determining a maximum steering angle to operate the vehicle. The method further includes controlling one or more subsystems in the vehicle via an instruction related to the driving-related operation. For example, transmitting the instruction to the one or more subsystems causes the vehicle to perform the driving-related operation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of performing an autonomous driving operation, comprising: determining, by a computer located in a vehicle, a vehicle weight distribution that includes, for each axle of a plurality of axles of the vehicle, one or more values that describe weight or pressure applied on a respective axle, wherein the one or more values of the vehicle weight distribution are determined by removing at least one value from a set of sensor values that is outside a range of pre-determined values; determining, by the computer located in the vehicle, a driving-related operation of the vehicle based on the vehicle weight distribution; and controlling, by the computer located in the vehicle, one or more subsystems in the vehicle via an instruction related to the driving-related operation, wherein the instruction causes the vehicle to perform autonomous driving. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein an upper bound of the range of pre-determined values is an average value of a force exerted on the plurality of axles of the vehicle in response to goods being located in the vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the set of sensor values includes first sensor values that indicate weights or pressures applied on the plurality of axles of the vehicle and second sensor values that indicate pressures in tires or wheels of tires of the vehicle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the driving-related operation of the vehicle comprises: determining, for each axle, a braking amount to control an extent to which brakes are engaged on the respective axle, wherein the braking amount for the respective axle is determined based on the vehicle weight distribution. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, for each axle, a weight or pressure applied on the respective axle by goods included in the vehicle by comparing a value of the vehicle weight distribution for the respective axle with a previously measured weight or pressure applied on the respective axle by a structure of the vehicle, wherein the driving-related operation is determined further based on the determined weight or pressure applied on each axle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising: determining a total weight of goods loaded in the vehicle based on the determined weight or pressure applied on each axle by the goods, wherein the driving-related operation is determined further based on the determined total weight of goods. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the driving-related operation includes selecting a transmission gear to operate the vehicle based on the determined total weight of goods. ### Claim 8 A system for autonomous vehicle operation comprising a processor configured to cause the system to: determine a vehicle weight distribution that includes, for each axle of a plurality of axles of a vehicle, one or more values that describe weight or pressure applied on a respective axle, wherein the one or more values of the vehicle weight distribution are determined by removing at least one value from a set of sensor values that is outside a range of pre-determined values; determine a driving-related operation of the vehicle based on the vehicle weight distribution; and control one or more subsystems in the vehicle via an instruction related to the driving-related operation, wherein the instruction causes the vehicle to perform autonomous driving. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein a lower bound of the range of pre-determined values is an average value of a force exerted on the plurality of axles of the vehicle in response to goods not being located in the vehicle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the set of sensor values includes first sensor values that indicate weights or pressures applied on the plurality of axles of the vehicle and second sensor values that indicate pressures in tires or wheels of tires of the vehicle, and wherein the first sensor values are compared to a first range of pre-determined values and the second sensor values are compared to a second range of pre-determined values. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein to determine the driving-related operation of the vehicle, the processor is further configured to cause the system to: determine a first braking amount for brakes of a first axle and a second braking amount for brakes of a second axle, wherein the first braking amount and the second braking amount are determined based on the vehicle weight distribution. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the system to: determine, for each axle, a weight or pressure applied on the respective axle by goods included in the vehicle by subtracting a vehicle structure weight from a value of the vehicle weight distribution for the respective axle, wherein the driving-related operation is determined further based on the determined weight or pressure applied on each axle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the system to: determine a total weight of goods loaded in the vehicle based on the vehicle weight distribution and a vehicle structure weight, wherein the driving-related operation is determined further based on the determined total weight of goods. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein to determine the driving-related operation, the processor is further configured to cause the system to select a transmission gear to operate the vehicle based on the determined total weight of goods based on comparing a value of the vehicle weight distribution with a pre-determined threshold. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable program storage medium having code stored thereon, the code, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to implement a method comprising: determining a vehicle weight distribution that includes, for each axle of a plurality of axles of a vehicle, one or more values that describe weight or pressure applied on a respective axle, wherein the one or more values of the vehicle weight distribution are determined by removing at least one value from a set of sensor values that is outside a range of pre-determined values; determining a driving-related operation of the vehicle based on the vehicle weight distribution; and controlling one or more subsystems in the vehicle via an instruction related to the driving-related operation, wherein the instruction causes the vehicle to perform autonomous driving. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable program storage medium of claim 15, wherein the range of pre-determined values is based on a statistical criterion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable program storage medium of claim 16, wherein the statistical criterion indicates one standard deviation from an average of the set of sensor values. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable program storage medium of claim 15, wherein the set of sensor values includes first sensor values received from a first set of sensors coupled to the plurality of axles of the vehicle and second sensor values received from a second set of sensors coupled to tires or wheels of the vehicle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer-readable program storage medium of claim 18, wherein the one or more values of the vehicle weight distribution for each axle is determined based on second sensor values corresponding to at least two tires coupled to a respective axle. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable program storage medium of claim 15, wherein determining the driving-related operation of the vehicle comprises: determining a maximum steering angle to operate the vehicle based on the vehicle weight distribution.