Description:FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of vehicle engineering, in particular to a mass estimation system and a method thereof. Such a mass estimation system may constitute a part of any automobile, a two wheeler, a multi-wheeler, and other road-traveling automobiles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Knowing the total weight of a vehicle (that is, the vehicle's own weight and, if present, the load weight) is of great interest in many automotive applications. There are multiple known techniques for estimation of mass of the vehicle. One of the techniques estimates vehicle weight based on vehicle acceleration in a state where the driving force is transmitted to the driving wheels, the vehicle acceleration in the state where the driving force is not transmitted to the driving wheels, and the vehicle traveling speed. The weight of the vehicle is estimated, and the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle are corrected using the estimated weight. In order to accurately correct acceleration and deceleration, it is necessary to accurately estimate the weight of the vehicle.
[0003] In recent years, electrification has been promoted even in small and large vehicles. In an electric vehicle, the driving force generated by the motor is transmitted to the driving wheels without going through a driving force transmitting device such as a clutch. In the above technique, the driving force is transmitted to and disconnected from the driving wheels by a clutch. Therefore, in an electric vehicle, the vehicle weight cannot be estimated by using such a technique.
[0004] To achieve higher efficiency and accuracy, various systems and methods are developed for mass estimation by taking the mass of the driver, pillion rider, and any extra payload as input. However, most of the existing solutions generally use an accelerometer (i.e., using an IMU) for measuring the road grade directly. The obtained road grade profile is then coupled with the longitudinal forces acting on the vehicle to estimate the mass of the vehicle.
[0005] Other approaches include calculating the mass of the vehicle based on the longitudinal dynamics of a vehicle. However, mass calculation based on the longitudinal dynamics of the vehicle does not result in the estimation of reliable mass if, for example, the acceleration of the vehicle and / or the torque of the engine used in the estimation are low. The use of recursive minimum square filtering (RLS) requires considerable time to provide useful results (for example, on the order of 10 minutes) and is sensitive to sudden changes in driving situations.
[0006] Patent Application CN107310558 titled “Measuring method, device and the vehicle of vehicle mass” discloses a measuring method of vehicle mass, device and vehicle. The method obtains the first instantaneous acceleration a1 and the second instantaneous acceleration a2 information and vehicle driving force information corresponding to a first vehicle driving force F1 and a second vehicle driving force F2.
[0007] Another Patent Application US20220194393 titled “Method and control unit for determining the mass of a vehicle” discloses a method for determining the mass of a vehicle by determining a first driving force, a first longitudinal vehicle acceleration at a first point in time and a second driving force and a second longitudinal vehicle acceleration at a second point in time. The mass of the vehicle is determined as a function of a quotient of the driving force difference and the longitudinal vehicle acceleration difference.
[0008] Yet another Patent Application JP2021056061 titled “Vehicle weight estimation device and vehicle” discloses estimating vehicle weight when a driving force is transmitted to a driving wheel without passing through a driving force transmission device such as a clutch. The weight of the vehicle is estimated, and the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle are corrected using the estimated weight.
[0009] However, none of the above disclosed prior arts estimates the mass of the vehicle using an initial mass of the vehicle. Further, all the existing arts are either using the accelerometer or an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) for the mass estimation. These existing solutions inculcate the values that come from the accelerometer or the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) which helps in calculating the road grade directly. The obtained value is coupled with the longitudinal forces calculation which will provide mass as the output. Therefore, the accelerometer or the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) are used generally for a single algorithm or value that ultimately proves to be costly. Moreover, not all systems in vehicles include IMUs providing road grade values.
[0010] In order to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks, there is a need to provide a method to subvert the need of the IMU/ the accelerometer and still provide the vehicle mass value within acceptable accuracy. Thus, in light of the above-stated discussion, technical personnel in the field propose a mass estimation system that calculates a mass of a vehicle using an initial mass of the vehicle, a resultant acceleration, and a plurality of vehicle operating parameters.
OBJECTIVES OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0011] A primary objective of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior-arts.
[0012] Another objective of the present disclosure is to provide a method for determining a mass of a vehicle without use of any Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), such as an accelerometer, gyros, etc.
[0013] Another objective is to provide an onboard mass estimation system for determining the mass of the vehicle.
[0014] Another objective is to provide the method for mass estimation in the vehicle by measuring the forces acting while the vehicle is in motion.
[0015] Another objective is to achieve higher efficiency and accuracy in onboard mass estimation, as various algorithms working on the vehicle are using the estimated mass as primary input.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0016] The following is a summary description of illustrative embodiments of the invention. It is provided as a preface to assist those skilled in the art to more rapidly assimilate the detailed design discussion which ensues and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the claims which are appended hereto in order to particularly point out the invention.
[0017] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a method performed by a control unit for determining the mass of a vehicle. The method comprising steps of monitoring a plurality of vehicle operating parameters in real-time, determining a first acceleration using at least one monitored vehicle operating parameter from the plurality of vehicle operating parameters, determining a second acceleration using an initial mass of the vehicle and a resultant force determined using a plurality of longitudinal forces acting on the vehicle, determining a resultant acceleration using the first acceleration and the second acceleration, and determining the mass of the vehicle using the resultant acceleration and the initial mass of the vehicle.
[0018] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of vehicle operating parameters includes a motor torque, a motor speed, and an applied brake pressure. The plurality of vehicle operating parameters includes at least one of a selected ride mode of the vehicle, road gradients and traffic conditions.
[0019] Further, the plurality of vehicle operating parameters is utilised to determine certain longitudinal forces, such as the motor speed is used to calculate a vehicle’s resistance, the motor torque is used to calculate a vehicle’s tractive force, and the applied brake pressure is used to calculate a braking torque at a wheel of the vehicle.
[0020] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the resultant acceleration is an averaged acceleration error difference which is determined by determining the acceleration error difference as a function of the first acceleration and the second acceleration, followed by performing an averaging operation to the acceleration error difference through an averaging filter.
[0021] The method further performs a convergence analysis to check for convergence of the estimated mass of the vehicle.
[0022] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of vehicle operating parameters are monitored in real-time by at least one control unit and a plurality of sensors present on the vehicle. Further, the control unit is an electronic control unit (ECU). In particular, the control unit of the vehicle includes but is not limited to one of a vehicle control unit (VCU), a motor control unit (MCU).
[0023] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the at least one control unit is a part of a computing device, wherein the control unit includes one or more processors.
[0024] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the method comprises the step of displaying the estimated mass of the vehicle to a user or a rider. In particular, the estimated mass of the vehicle is displayed to the user on a display device including but not limited to one of a CRT display, an LCD display, an LED display, an OLED display, an AMOLED display, and a PMOLED display. In an embodiment, the display device is touch-sensitive or non-touch sensitive.
[0025] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises sending a notification alert to the user or the rider indicative of an overload condition of the vehicle when the estimated mass of the vehicle is above a predefined threshold mass value. In particular, the notification alert includes at least one of a text message, an audio warning, a visual warning, a haptic feedback, and vibrations provided on a vehicle display or a user handheld device.
[0026] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle is one of an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, a fuel-cell electric vehicle, and an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. Further, the vehicle is a two-wheeled vehicle or a multi-wheeled vehicle.
[0027] Further, in various embodiments, the vehicle is one of but not limited to a battery electric vehicle (BEV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a Plug-in Hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), Fuel Cell electric vehicle (FCEV), a two wheeler electric bike or a multi-wheeled electric vehicle.
[0028] These and other aspects described herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawing. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention herein without departing from the spirit thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0029] To describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure or in the prior art more clearly, the following briefly describes the accompanying drawings required for describing the embodiments or the prior art. Apparently, the accompanying drawings in the following description merely show some embodiments of the present disclosure, and a person of ordinary skill in the art can derive other implementations from these accompanying drawings without creative efforts. All of the embodiments or the implementations shall fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure. Having thus described the disclosure in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying figures.
[0030] Fig. 1A is a block diagram illustrating a mass estimation system for use within a vehicle environment to determine the mass of the vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0031] Fig. 1B is another exemplary block diagram illustrating the mass estimation system in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the invention;
[0032] Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating different control units in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0033] Fig. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for determining the mass of the vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0034] It should be noted that the accompanying figure is intended to present illustrations of a few examples of the present disclosure. The figure is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. It should also be noted that the accompanying figure is not necessarily drawn to scale.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0035] In the following detailed description of the invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced with or without these specific details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures and components have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the invention.
[0036] The accompanying drawing is used to help easily understand various technical features and it should be understood that the alternatives presented herein are not limited by the accompanying drawing. As such, the present disclosure should be construed to extend to any alterations, equivalents and substitutes in addition to those which are particularly set out in the accompanying drawing. Although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements or values, these elements or values should not be limited by these terms. These terms are generally only used to distinguish one element or values from another.
[0037] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other alternatives of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention. While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific aspect, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described alternative, method, and examples, but by all aspects and methods within the scope of the invention. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary, with the true scope of the invention being indicated by the claims.
[0038] Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, "can," "may," "might," "may," “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain alternatives include, while other alternatives do not include, certain features, elements and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or steps are in any way required for one or more alternatives or that one or more alternatives necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without other input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular alternative. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like are synonymous and are used inclusively, in an open-ended fashion, and do not exclude additional elements, features, acts, operations, and so forth. Also, the term “or” is used in its inclusive sense (and not in its exclusive sense) so that when used, for example, to connect a list of elements, the term “or” means one, some, or all of the elements in the list.
[0039] Terms vehicle and electric vehicle may be used interchangeably for convenience.
[0040] Terms electronic control unit or ECU may be used interchangeably for convenience.
[0041] Terms vehicle control unit or VCU may be used interchangeably for convenience.
[0042] Terms motor control unit or MCU may be used interchangeably for convenience.
[0043] Fig. 1A is a block diagram illustrating a mass estimation system 100 for use within a vehicle to determine the mass of the vehicle in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The mass estimation system 100 resides locally onboard the vehicle for estimating the mass of the vehicle.
[0044] The mass estimation system 100 operating in a vehicle environment includes a control unit (CU) 111, a display device 114, and a user handheld device 116. In particular, the mass estimation system 100 estimates the mass of the vehicle using an initial mass of the vehicle, monitoring a plurality of vehicle operating parameters, calculating the first acceleration, second acceleration, and averaged acceleration error difference.
[0045] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle 122 is one of an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, a fuel-cell electric vehicle, and an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. Further, the vehicle is a two-wheeled vehicle or a multi-wheeled vehicle. The vehicle is not limited to a battery electric vehicle (BEV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a Plug-in Hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), Fuel Cell electric vehicle (FCEV), a two wheeler electric bike, and a three wheeler electric vehicle.
[0046] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 111 is configured with one or more processors 110 and a memory 106. The processor 110 is in communication with the memory 106 to perform a series of computer-executable instructions stored in the memory such as, monitoring a plurality of vehicle operating parameters in real-time, determining a first acceleration using at least one monitored vehicle operating parameter from the plurality of vehicle operating parameters; determining a second acceleration using an initial mass of the vehicle and a resultant force determined from a plurality of longitudinal forces acting on the vehicle, and determining a resultant acceleration using the first acceleration and the second acceleration, and determining the mass of the vehicle 122 using the resultant acceleration and the initial mass of the vehicle 122.
[0047] The processor 110 associated with the control unit (CU) 111 may be any well-known processor, but not limited to processors from Intel Corporation. Alternatively, the processor may be a dedicated controller such as an ASIC or ARM, MIPS, SPARC, or INTEL® IA-32 microcontroller or the like.
[0048] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the processor 110 comprises a collection of processors which may or may not operate in parallel. Alternatively, the processor 110, which may be any processor-driven device, such as one or more microprocessors and memories or other computer-readable media operable for storing and executing computer-readable instructions.
[0049] In some implementations, a plurality of sensors may be provided on different parts of the vehicle 122 (not shown in the figure). The plurality of sensors directly sense and measure the plurality of vehicle parameters and communicate to the control unit (CU) 111 in order to determine the first acceleration and second acceleration, and ultimately estimating the mass of the vehicle 122. The plurality of sensors include but not limited to GPS sensor, speed sensor, torque sensor, brake pressure sensor, etc. Other sensors for measuring any other vehicle parameters known to a person skilled in the art may very well be used.
[0050] The memory 106 associated with the control unit (CU) 111 stores instructions to be executed by the control unit 111. Memory 106 can be any type of suitable memory, including various types of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) such as SDRAM, various types of static RAM (SRAM), and various types of non-volatile memory (PROM, EPROM, and flash). It should be understood that the memory 106 may be a single type of memory component or it may be composed of many different types of memory components. As noted above, memory 106 stores instructions for executing one or more methods for estimating mass of the vehicle. For example, memory 106 may store software used by the user device, such as an operating system (not shown), application programs (not shown), and an associated internal database (not shown). The memory 106 is also configured to collect the data such as but not limited to the first acceleration, the second acceleration, the averaged acceleration error difference and other vehicle parameters of the vehicle 122.
[0051] In an alternative embodiment, the memory 106 may be an external memory to the control unit (CU) 111 to store various data and computer executable instructions.
[0052] The control units (CU) 111 includes one or more automotive control units for controlling the various onboard systems of the vehicle 122. In particular, the control unit (CU) 111 is an electronic control unit (ECU) which further includes at least one of but is not limited to a vehicle control unit (VCU) 202, and a motor control unit (MCU) 206. Each control unit (CU) 111 may include the memory 106, one or more processors 110 including other components that control the operation of the vehicle 122. The control units (CU) 111 are implemented locally or onboard on the vehicle 122.
[0053] In alternative embodiments, the control units (CU) 111 may not be fully implemented locally or onboard on the vehicle 122. The control units (CU) 111 may be configured with a computing device 104, such as a server for estimating the mass of the vehicle. The details of the computing device 104 is further described in detail below with respect to Fig. 1B.
[0054] The mass estimation system 100 displays the estimated mass of the vehicle 122 to a user or a rider on the display device 114 including but not limited to one of a CRT display, an LCD display, an LED display, an OLED display, an AMOLED display, and a PMOLED display.
[0055] In some implementations, the display device 114 is a touch-sensitive display device or non-touch sensitive display device.
[0056] The mass estimation system 100 sends a notification alert to the user or the rider indicative of an overload condition of the vehicle 122, when the estimated mass of the vehicle 122 is above a predefined threshold mass value. In particular, the notification alert includes at least one of a text message, an audio warning, a visual warning, haptic feedback, and vibrations provided on a vehicle display or the user handheld devices 116.
[0057] The user handheld devices 116 may display notification alert to the user and may be configured with an interface of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a user computer, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, a communication network appliance, a camera, a smartphone, an enhanced general packet radio service (EGPRS) mobile phone, a media player, a navigation device, an email device, a game console, or a combination of any these data processing devices or other data processing devices. Furthermore, the user handheld devices 116 may be any user handheld device that can be provided access to and/or receive application software executed and/or stored on any of the servers.
[0058] In some implementations, the user handheld devices 116 can communicate wirelessly to the vehicle 122 through a communication network 108 such as, but not limited to, the Internet, wireless networks, local area networks, wide area networks, private networks, a cellular communication network, corporate network having one or more wireless access points or a combination thereof connecting any number of mobile clients, fixed clients, and servers and so forth. Examples of the communication network 108 may include the Internet, a WIFI connection, a Bluetooth connection, a Zigbee connection, a communication network, a wireless communication network, a 3G communication, network, a 4G communication network, a 5G communication network, a USB connection, or any combination thereof. For example, the communication may be based through a radio-frequency transceiver (not shown). In addition, short-range communication may occur, such as using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or other such transceivers.
[0059] Fig. 1B is a block diagram illustrating another alternate mass estimation system 200 in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the invention. The mass estimation system 200 can be performed remotely on a computing device 104. The computing device 104 may include one or more remote servers, one or more servers located within a building premises, a private or a public cloud platform, or any other computing platform known to a person skilled in the art.
[0060] In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the computing device 104 [hereinafter referred to as server 104, for example] is configured to collect the plurality of vehicle operating parameters and the initial mass of the vehicle. The vehicle collects the plurality of vehicle operating parameters through a plurality of vehicle sensors which are then communicated to the server 104. Alternatively, the vehicle sensors may directly communicate the sensed various vehicle operating parameters to the server 104. The server 104 comprises one or more processors to process the received plurality of vehicle operating parameters thereby facilitating in estimating the mass of the vehicle by calculating the first acceleration, the second acceleration and the resultant acceleration of the vehicle 122. The process of calculating the first acceleration, the second acceleration and the resultant acceleration is further described in detail below with reference to Fig. 3. Alternatively, the server 104 may include one or more control units (CU) 111. The control unit (CU) 111 of the server 104 may further include one or more processors 110 and memory 106. In particular, the server 104 first sends the estimated mass to the vehicle 122 and then the vehicle 122 through the CU 111, preferably the vehicle control unit (VCU), may send the estimated mass to the user handheld device 116. Alternatively, the server 104 can directly send the estimated mass of the vehicle simultaneously to both the vehicle 122 and the user handheld device 116. Furthermore, the vehicle 122 through the CU 111 may send a notification to the user handheld device 116 when the estimated mass is above a certain threshold. Alternatively, the server 104 can directly send a notification to the user handheld device if the estimated mass of the vehicle is above a certain threshold.
[0061] In particular, the server 104 may be, but not limited to a cloud server, a web server, an application server, a proxy server, a network server, or a server farm, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the remote server, including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies.
[0062] In some implementations, the mass estimation system 200 may also include a plurality of databases or storage devices 102 (hereinafter cumulatively referred to as database 102) communicatively coupled with the server 104 via the communication network 108 to communicate the vehicle data stored in the database 102. The storage device or database 102 stores the received vehicle data or the plurality of vehicle operating parameters via the plurality of sensors. The plurality of vehicle data includes, such as motor speed, current drawn by motor, forces acting on the vehicle while driving, acceleration values (if any), traffic conditions, road gradient profile, user driving pattern, user profiles, etc. The plurality of sensors senses the plurality of vehicle data or vehicle operating parameters while the vehicle is in motion and sends the vehicle data through internet of things (IoT) to the server 104. Alternatively, the plurality of vehicle operating parameters may be directly measured with the help of one or more sensors. Alternatively, the plurality of vehicle operating parameters may also be measured or calculated by one or more control units onboard the vehicle which are then communicated from the vehicle 122 to the server 104 for performing vehicle mass estimation at the server 104 side. The server 104 estimates the mass of the vehicle 122 based on the received plurality of vehicle operating parameters and the initial mass of the vehicle. The server 104 then communicates the estimated mass of the vehicle to the vehicle control unit 111 which then displays the estimated mass of the vehicle on vehicle display and/or communicates to the user handheld device 116.
[0063] The communication network 108 is configured for providing communication links for communicating between the display device 114, the server 104, the plurality of databases or storage devices 102 and the vehicle 122.
[0064] In particular, the communication network 108 may include any communication network, such as, but not limited to, the Internet, wireless networks, local area networks, wide area networks, private networks, a cellular communication network, corporate network having one or more wireless access points or a combination thereof connecting any number of mobile clients, fixed clients, and servers and so forth. Examples of communication network 108 may include the Internet, a WIFI connection, a Bluetooth connection, a Zigbee connection, a communication network, a wireless communication network, a 3G communication, network, a 4G communication network, a 5G communication network, a USB connection, or any combination thereof. For example, the communication may be based through a radio-frequency transceiver (not shown). In addition, short-range communication may occur, such as using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or other such transceivers.
[0065] It will be appreciated that the network connections shown are illustrative and other means of establishing a communications link between the computers/hardware components may be used. The existence of any of various network protocols such as TCP/IP, Ethernet, FTP, HTTP and the like, and of various wireless communication technologies such as GSM, CDMA, WiFi, and WiMAX, is presumed, and the various computing devices and system components described herein may be configured to communicate using any of these network protocols or technologies.
[0066] In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the user handheld devices 116 can receive the estimated mass value and/or the notification directly from the computing platform i.e., the computing device/platform can simultaneously send the estimated mass value both to the vehicle and the user handheld device 116.
[0067] In an alternative embodiment, the server 104 may also include the plurality of databases or storage devices 102.
[0068] Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating different control units 111 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The control unit 111 is positioned or placed in the vehicle 122. The control unit 111 is the electronic control unit (ECU) which includes at least one of but not limited to a vehicle control unit (VCU) 202, and a motor control unit (MCU) 206, or a combination thereof to monitor the plurality of vehicle operating parameters in real-time or near real-time and to carry out the mass estimation. The control unit 111 estimates the mass of the vehicle onboard and locally in the vehicle 122 as explained in Fig.1A or the control unit 111 may be configured with any computing device to remotely estimate the mass of the vehicle as explained in Fig.1B.
[0069] In some embodiments of the present invention, the control unit 111 may independently monitor different vehicle operating parameters. Alternatively, the control units 111 are communicatively coupled with different onboard sensors on the vehicle to monitor the plurality of vehicle operating parameters. These sensors directly sense or measure the plurality of vehicle operating parameters and communicate the same with the control unit 111 that helps facilitate determining the mass of the vehicle 122.
[0070] The vehicle control unit (VCU) 202 is configured to continuously monitor the plurality of vehicle operating parameters and vehicle conditions to estimate the vehicle mass value in real-time or near real-time. In particular, the plurality of vehicle operating parameters include but are not limited to a motor torque, a motor speed, and an applied brake pressure or a brake force to calculate a braking torque at the wheels. Moreover, the plurality of vehicle operating parameters also includes at least one of a selected ride mode of the vehicle, road gradients and traffic conditions. Further, the plurality of vehicle operating parameters are utilised to determine the longitudinal forces, such as the motor speed is used to calculate a vehicle’s resistance, the motor torque is used to calculate a vehicle’s tractive force, and the applied brake pressure is used to calculate a braking torque at a wheel of the vehicle 122.
[0071] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the longitudinal forces acting on the vehicle 122 while in motion are used to calculate the resultant force acting on the vehicle 122. The resultant force and the initial mass of the vehicle is used to calculate the second acceleration.
[0072] In an alternative implementation, the vehicle control unit (VCU) 202 also calculates braking torque at the wheels to estimate the vehicle mass.
[0073] The motor control unit (MCU) 206 is configured to monitor the motor and provide various motor-oriented parameters, such as motor speed and motor torque. The motor speed is preferably used for calculating the first acceleration value.
[0074] Further, both the accelerations (first acceleration and second acceleration) are used to calculate the averaged acceleration error difference using a suitable averaging filter. The averaged acceleration error difference is calculated by first determining the acceleration error difference as a function of the first acceleration and the second acceleration, followed by performing an averaging operation to the acceleration error difference through the averaging filter.
[0075] The averaging filter is at least one of a running average filter, a moving average filter, and a hybrid averaging filter. In one exemplary embodiment, the hybrid averaging filter is used. The hybrid averaging filter includes a mixture of moving average as well as running average. In the beginning, the averaging filter works as a running average and after a threshold value is reached, the averaging filter switches to a moving average. The switching from the running average to the moving average is based on a number of factors, such as vehicle ride time, and plurality of vehicle parameters or vehicle conditions, which includes but not limited to the ride mode, road profile, traffic conditions, vehicle speed, etc. The output of the hybrid averaging filter is the averaged acceleration error difference.
[0076] Further, the averaged acceleration error difference is multiplied by the initial vehicle mass to obtain the estimated mass value of the vehicle 122. The estimated vehicle mass value is then checked for convergence to provide the final estimated vehicle mass value of the vehicle 122.
[0077] In an example, the traffic conditions directly affect the time taken to estimate the mass of the vehicle as the traffic conditions are reflected in the acceleration observed by the vehicle. For example, if the vehicle is stationary, or below a certain minimal threshold of acceleration or deceleration, the method will take longer to reach convergent value. On the other hand, if the vehicle experiences regular acceleration and deceleration, the mass estimation will be quick.
[0078] Fig. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for determining a mass of a vehicle 122 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The method starts at step 305 and proceeds to step 335. In particular, the method is performed by a control unit 111 with the other onboard sensors and elements of the vehicle 122.
[0079] At step 305, a plurality of vehicle operating parameters of the vehicle 122 are monitored by the control unit 111 using one or more sensors onboard the vehicle 122.
[0080] At step 310, a first acceleration is determined using at least one monitored vehicle operating parameter from the plurality of vehicle operating parameters. In the preferred embodiment, the first acceleration is calculated using a motor speed or a vehicle speed.
[0081] The plurality of vehicle operating parameters include at least one of motor torque, motor speed, and applied brake pressure. Moreover, the plurality of vehicle operating parameters includes at least one of a selected ride mode of the vehicle, road gradients and traffic conditions. However, other known vehicle parameters may also be taken into consideration which are not mentioned here but may be well known to a person skilled in the art.
[0082] At step 315, a second acceleration is determined using an initial mass of the vehicle 122 and a resultant force determined using a plurality of longitudinal forces acting on the vehicle 122.
[0083] In an example, the initial mass of the vehicle is 210 Kg which includes 140 Kg (assumed vehicle weight) + 70 Kg (assumed solo rider)]. Further, second acceleration is calculated using the initial mass i.e., 210 kg along with the resultant force determined from a plurality of longitudinal forces acting on the vehicle.
[0084] At step 320, a resultant acceleration is determined using the first acceleration and the second acceleration. In particular, the resultant acceleration is an average acceleration error difference which is determined by determining the acceleration error difference as a function of the first acceleration and the second acceleration, followed by performing an averaging operation to the acceleration error difference through an averaging filter. The averaging filter is at least one of a running average filter, a moving average filter, and a hybrid averaging filter.
[0085] At step 325, the mass of the vehicle 122 is determined using the resultant acceleration and the initial mass of the vehicle 122.
[0086] At step 330, the estimated mass of the vehicle is displayed on a display device 114. The display device is a vehicle display or a user handheld device 116.
[0087] The display device 114 includes but is not limited to one of a CRT display, an LCD display, an LED display, an OLED display, an AMOLED display, and a PMOLED display. In some implementations, the display device 114 is a touch-sensitive display device or non-touch sensitive display device.
[0088] At step 335, a notification alert is sent to a user or a rider on the display device 114 or the user handheld device 116 indicating an overload condition of the vehicle if the estimated mass of the vehicle is above a threshold value. In particular, the notification alert includes at least one of a text message, an audio warning, a visual warning, haptic feedback, and vibrations provided on a vehicle display or the user handheld devices.
[0089] The user handheld devices 116 is a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a user computer, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, a communication network appliance, a camera, a smartphone, an enhanced general packet radio service (EGPRS) mobile phone, a media player, a navigation device, an email device, a game console, or a combination of any of these data processing devices or other data processing devices.
[0090] In some implementations, user handheld devices 116 can communicate wirelessly with vehicle 112. Alternatively, the user handheld device 116 can communicate with the server 104 via the vehicle 122. the user handheld device 116 can communicate directly with the server 104 via an application installed on the user handheld device 116. The communication network 108 for establishing a suitable wireless communication network may include any communication network, such as, but not limited to, the Internet, wireless networks, local area networks, wide area networks, private networks, a cellular communication network, corporate network having one or more wireless access points or a combination thereof connecting any number of mobile clients, fixed clients, and servers and so forth. Examples of communication network 108 may include the Internet, a WIFI connection, a Bluetooth connection, a ZigBee connection, a communication network, a wireless communication network, a 3G communication, network, a 4G communication network, a 5G communication network, a USB connection, or any combination thereof. For example, the communication may be based through a radio-frequency transceiver (not shown). In addition, short-range communication may occur, such as using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or other such transceivers.
[0091] It will be appreciated that the network connections shown are illustrative and other means of establishing a communications link between the computers/hardware components may be used. The existence of any of various network protocols such as TCP/IP, Ethernet, FTP, HTTP and the like, and of various wireless communication technologies such as GSM, CDMA, WiFi, and WiMAX, is presumed, and the various computing devices and system components described herein may be configured to communicate using any of these network protocols or technologies.
[0092] Advantageously, the mass estimation system provides uncoupled road grade requirements to calculate vehicle mass without the need for an accelerometer or an IMU. The system achieves computational efficiency without increasing the overall cost of the product by not requiring additional hardware for implementation. Further, the mass estimation system aids in efficiency gains in other systems/algorithms using the vehicle load values.
[0093] In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the method of mass estimation may be implemented in the internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Further, in the internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, the measurement of speed and torque is done using the plurality of sensors and components that relay the information to the Engine Control Unit of the ICE vehicle for the mass estimation. The plurality of sensors includes but is not limited to Crankshaft Position Sensor, Throttle Position Sensor, and Mass Air Flow Sensor.
[0094] In another alternative embodiment of the present invention, the method of mass estimation may be implemented in a multi-wheeled vehicle. The speed will be taken from the source itself using a plurality of components that relay the information to at least one of the control units. Further, equations which define the differential installed in the multi-wheeled vehicle will be used to determine the torque which is being sent to multiple driving wheels. That modified torque and the measured speed will be taken for the mass estimation of the multi-wheeled vehicle.
[0095] While the detailed description has shown, described, and pointed out novel features as applied to various alternatives, it can be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the devices or algorithms illustrated can be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. The disclosures and the description herein are intended to be illustrative and are not in any sense limiting the invention, defined in scope by the following claims.
, Claims:We Claim:
1. A method for determining a mass of a vehicle 122, the method comprising:
monitoring, in real-time, a plurality of vehicle operating parameters;
determining, by a control unit 111, a first acceleration using at least one monitored vehicle operating parameter from the plurality of vehicle operating parameters;
determining, by the control unit 111, a second acceleration using an initial mass of the vehicle and a resultant force determined from a plurality of longitudinal forces acting on the vehicle 122;
determining, by the control unit 111, a resultant acceleration using the first acceleration and the second acceleration; and
determining, by the control unit 111, the mass of the vehicle 122 using the resultant acceleration and the initial mass of the vehicle 122.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of vehicle operating parameters include a motor torque, a motor speed, and an applied brake pressure.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of vehicle operating parameters include at least one of a selected ride mode of the vehicle, road gradients, and traffic conditions.
4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plurality of vehicle operating parameters are utilised to determine certain longitudinal forces, such as the motor speed is used to calculate a vehicle’s resistance, the motor torque is used to calculate a vehicle’s tractive force, and the applied brake pressure is used to calculate a braking torque at a wheel of the vehicle.
5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resultant acceleration is an averaged acceleration error difference.
6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further performs a convergence analysis to check for convergence of the estimated mass of the vehicle.
7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of vehicle operating parameters are monitored in real-time by at least one of a vehicle control unit (VCU), an electronic control unit (ECU), a motor control unit (MCU) 206, and a plurality of sensors.
8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit 111 is a part of the vehicle, wherein the control unit includes at least one of the vehicle control unit (VCU) 202, the electronic control unit (ECU), and the motor control unit (MCU) 206.
9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit 111 is a part of a computing device, wherein the control unit 111 includes one or more processors.
10. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprises displaying the estimated mass of the vehicle 122 to a user or a rider.
11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the estimated mass of the vehicle 122 is displayed to the user on a display device 114 including but not limited to one of a CRT display, an LCD display, an LED display, an OLED display, an AMOLED display, and a PMOLED display.
12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the display device 114 is touch-sensitive or non-touch sensitive.
13. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising sending a notification alert to the user or the rider indicative of an overload condition of the vehicle when the estimated mass of the vehicle 122 is above a predefined threshold mass value.
14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the notification alert includes at least one of a text message, an audio warning, a visual warning, haptic feedback, and vibrations provided on the display device 114 or a user handheld device 116.
15. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle 122 is one of an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, a fuel-cell electric vehicle, and an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle.
16. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle 122 is a two-wheeled vehicle or a multi-wheeled vehicle.