Methods and systems for improved detection of minispare tires
AssigneeRobert Bosch GmbH
InventorNachiket D. Patil
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of detecting a minispare tire in a vehicle having a vehicle control system. The method includes detecting a rotational velocity of each of a plurality of wheels of the vehicle; determining whether a minispare tire is mounted on the vehicle based on the rotational velocities detected at each of the plurality of wheels; adjusting the vehicle control system if a minispare tire is mounted on the vehicle; sensing a hydraulic pressure of a braking system of the vehicle; and suspending determination of whether a minispare tire is mounted on the vehicle if the hydraulic pressure exceeds a predetermined critical pressure level.
Claims20
A method of detecting a minispare tire in a vehicle having a vehicle control system, the method comprising:
- detecting a rotational velocity of each of a plurality of wheels of the vehicle;
- determining whether a minispare tire is mounted on the vehicle based on the rotational velocities detected at each of the plurality of wheels;
- adjusting the vehicle control system if a minispare tire is mounted on the vehicle;
- sensing a hydraulic pressure of a braking system of the vehicle during braking while the vehicle is in motion;
- and
- suspending determination of whether a minispare tire is mounted on the vehicle if the hydraulic pressure exceeds a predetermined critical pressure level during said braking.
A system for suspending detection of a minispare tire in a vehicle, the system comprising:
- a plurality of wheel speed sensors, wherein each wheel speed sensor is attached to a wheel of the vehicle such that the wheel speed sensor measures a rotational velocity value for the wheel;
- a braking system including:
- a master cylinder;
- a brake pedal attached to the master cylinder;
- and
- a hydraulic pressure sensor to measure a hydraulic pressure value within the braking system;
- and
- a vehicle control system comprising a control unit in operative communication with the braking system and wheel speed sensors, wherein the control unit has a logic unit and a storage unit, the storage unit having a critical pressure level stored therein and the logic unit configured to:
- receive the rotational velocity values from the wheel speed sensors;
- analyze the relative rotational velocities of the wheels to determine whether a minispare tire is mounted on a wheel;
- receive the hydraulic pressure value from the hydraulic pressure sensor;
- compare the hydraulic pressure value to the critical pressure level stored in the storage unit;
- if the hydraulic pressure level is less than or equal to the critical pressure level, adjust the vehicle control system for the presence of a minispare tire;
- and if, during braking while the vehicle is in motion, the hydraulic pressure is greater than the critical pressure level, suspend determination of whether a minispare tire is mounted on the vehicle.
A method of operating a vehicle control system, the method comprising:
- detecting a rotational velocity of each of a plurality of wheels of a vehicle;
- sensing a hydraulic pressure in a braking system of the vehicle;
- if the hydraulic pressure in the braking system is at or below a predetermined critical pressure, determining whether a minispare tire is mounted on the vehicle based on the rotational velocities of the wheels;
- adjusting the vehicle control system if it has been determined that a minispare tire is mounted on the vehicle;
- and if, during braking while the vehicle is in motion, the hydraulic pressure is greater than the predetermined critical pressure, suspending determination of whether a minispare tire is mounted on the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.