A method and an apparatus for estimating a friction coefficient in a moving vehicle analyze image data from a forward-looking vehicle camera to produce a camera friction coefficient .sub.k, and analyze tire slip and tire vibration based on a wheel speed signal to produce a wheel friction coefficient .sub.w. The camera and wheel friction coefficients are both considered to produce a proactive estimated friction coefficient that is primarily based on the camera friction coefficient .sub.k, whereas the wheel friction coefficient .sub.w is taken into account to check plausibility of the camera friction coefficient .sub.k.

A method for estimating a water height on a roadway where a tire of a vehicle is running, the mounted assembly being placed in a wheel arch of the vehicle, comprises the following steps: fixing a sensor onto the vehicle; obtaining a frequency signal from the sensor corresponding to the running of the vehicle at speed V on the roadway covered with a water height heau; isolating a part of the frequency signal, bounded by two strictly increasing frequencies, which is sensitive to the height heau; determining an energy vector linked to the part of the frequency signal; and obtaining the water height on the roadway using a function taking account of the energy vector and the speed V of the vehicle. The sensor is a microphone, and the part of the frequency signal extends at least partly beyond 4 kHz.

The present invention provides a graded braking control device and control method for vehicle tire burst, and belongs to the technical field of vehicles. It solves the problems of rear-end collision and more instability of the vehicle resulting from emergency brake after vehicle tire burst. The device includes a tire pressure sensor, a controller, a radar sensor, a stability detection module and an ESC, wherein the radar sensor and the stability detection module are respectively connected with input ends of the controller, the tire pressure sensor is in wireless connection with the controller, and the ESC is connected with an output end of the controller. The control method includes: 1. monitoring vehicle tire condition; 2. carrying out traffic state assessment and determining a first maximum braking deceleration value for preventing the rear-end collision with the follower vehicle after emergency brake of the present vehicle; 3. carrying out tire burst vehicle stability state assessment in combination with the current speed and setting the maximum braking deceleration under stable state; and 4. carrying out tire burst graded braking. The device and the method can ensure quick and stable braking of the tire burst vehicle, and avoid the rear-end collision of the present vehicle with the follower vehicle.

A road surface state determination device includes a tire-side device and a vehicle-body-side system. The tire-side device is attached to each of a plurality of tires included in a vehicle. The vehicle-body-side system is included in a body of the vehicle. The tire-side device may output a detection signal corresponding to a magnitude of vibration of the tire. The tire-side device may sense the detection signal and generate road surface data indicative of a road surface state appearing in a waveform of the detection signal. The tire-side device may transmit the road surface data. The vehicle-body-side system may perform bidirectional communication with the tire-side device and receive the road surface data. The vehicle-body-side system may determine the road surface state of a road surface on which the vehicle is traveling based on the road surface data.

A method for determining a continuous braking power for a vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle, the method having the steps: determining an ambient temperature; determining a speed, wherein the speed is representative of the speed of the vehicle, in particular the commercial vehicle; determining a thermal emission per unit time of a friction braking device on the basis of the ambient temperature and the speed; and determining the continuous braking power of the friction braking device on the basis of the thermal emission per unit time.

An autonomous vehicle has a temperature sensor for sensing an air temperature or a road temperature, a processor communicatively connected to the temperature sensor to receive a signal from the temperature sensor, to process the signal and to generate an estimated instantaneous coefficient of friction between a tire of the vehicle and a snow-covered roadway, and a camera to detect salt and/or sand on the roadway and to apply a salt correction factor and/or a sand correction factor to the coefficient of friction to thereby provide a salt-corrected coefficient of friction or a sand-corrected coefficient of friction.

A method for validating a model of vehicle dynamics for use in autonomous driving. The method comprising setting a wheel slip limit on an operation of at least one vehicle torque device, obtaining a model of vehicle dynamics based on the set wheel slip limit, and validating the model of vehicle dynamics based on the set wheel slip limit.

A method for detecting a flat spot of a tire of a first wheel of a vehicle. The method comprises obtaining a plurality of measurements indicative of an actuation and/or a motion of at least part of a suspension arrangement. The suspension arrangement is arranged to provide suspension for the first wheel. The method further comprises detecting that the tire has a flat spot by determining that the plurality of measurements fulfills one or more predetermined conditions.

A number of variations are disclosed including a computer program product and method of modifying brake-to-steer brake pressure commands, based on brake temperature, in real time as well as to create temperature dependent powertrain control and temperature dependent brake cooling.

A method is provided for evaluating wheel sensor signals of a wheel speed sensor where the wheel speed sensor supplies signals that are transmitted using two different protocols. Each protocol comprises a start pulse and a number of data pulses. A first processor unit receives the signals from the sensor and uses the start pulse to determine whether they were transmitted using the first protocol or the second protocol. Depending on the result, the first processor unit signals without a time delay whether a start pulse has been received via an ASO interface of a second processor unit, wherein a variable pulse width is used to indicate whether the start pulse belongs to a data packet that is transmitted with the first protocol or with the second protocol. The second processor provides each incoming ASO signal with a time stamp, so that the speed can be determined.