US 4,548,079 A · Method and apparatus to automatically determine the weight or mass of a moving vehicle

Abstract

This invention teaches a method and apparatus for the determination of the weight of a moving vehicle driven by an internal combustion engine. The invention provides means for the determination of a value corresponding to the driving torque of the engine, and for the determination of an acceleration value corresponding to the acceleration of the vehicle. The measuring means are controlled in such a manner that the torque value can be determined at the same time as the acceleration value. Furthermore, a calculating device is provided in which one or two values of the driving torque value--determined at different times--as well as values of the acceleration variable--determined at said times--are utilized for the determination of a weight variable corresponding with the weight of the vehicle.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A method of determining the weight of a moving vehicle and generating a signal which represents a value corresponding to said weight of said moving vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a first signal corresponding to the torque on the engine of said moving vehicle at a first point in time;
(b) generating a second signal corresponding to said torque on said engine of said moving vehicle at a second point in time;
(c) genrating a first signal corresponding to the acceleration of said moving vehicle at said first point in time in step (a);
(d) generating a second signal corresponding to said acceleration of said moving vehicle at said second point in time in step (b);
(e) calculating a value representative of said weight of said moving vehicle from said signals generated in steps (a) through (d);
and
(f) generating a signal representating said value of said weight calculated in step (e).

4 more elements

An apparatus to automatically determine the weight of a moving vehicle and to provide a signal that represents a value corresponding to said weight of said moving vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a first means positioned on said vehicle for providing a signal that corresponds to the torque on the engine of said moving vehicle;
(b) a second means positioned on said vehicle for providing a signal that corresponds to the acceleration of said moving vehicle;
and
(c) a calculating means positioned on said vehicle electrically connected to said first means to receive said signal that corresponds to said torque on said engine and electrically connected to said second means to receive said signal that corresponds to said acceleration of said moving vehicle, said calculating means calculating the weight of said moving vehicle from said signals and said calculating means generating said signal representing said value corresponding to said weight of said moving vehicle.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus to automatically determine the weight or mass of a moving vehicle

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus to automatically determine the weight or mass of a moving vehicle

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims31