Vehicle weight monitoring system
OwnerPreston Medureinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Weight sensors (scales) are configured to weigh cargo of a vehicle. The sensors can include transducers that convert input forces to electrical output signals. A vehicle control manager (which can be part of the vehicle computer system) receives the signals which represent measured weights. The vehicle control manager controls a display preferably on or near the dashboard that graphically shows, for example, the maximum weight for that truck, the current total weight in the bed, and where the weight is distributed in the bed. The information displayed can be indicated using a graphical illustration of a truck bed or the like.
Claims15
A vehicle weight monitoring system, comprising
- installed underneath a lining divided into cells of a vehicle, a plurality of weight sensors that each individually measure weight of cargo of the vehicle that is situated above the lining for a respective one of the cells;
- a control manager operationally connected to the weight sensors;
- and
- a display operationally connected to the control manager;
- wherein the control manager in real-time during driving of the vehicle determines weight information using input from the weight sensors and causes the display to graphically display the weight information;
- wherein the outputted weight information displayed on the display includes:
- for each of the cells, a numeric amount, in a predetermined weight unit, of the measured weight of the cargo as measured by the respective one of the weight sensors;
- a warning if it is determined that a load in the bed is over a maximum weight along with a specific recommendation as to an amount of weight to remove so that the load is no longer over the maximum weight;
- a warning if it is determined that a load in the bed is imbalanced along with a recommendation as to how to correct the imbalance including a specific recommendation as to a weight amount to move from a first side to a second side;
- and
- wherein the control manager determines load weight relative to the maximum weight, determines an extent of imbalance based on a distribution of weights among the cells, calculates an overall score based on both the determined load weight relative to the maximum weight and the determined extent of imbalance, and causes the display to output a color-coded value corresponding to the overall score.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.