GM Files Patent For Suspension Failure Detection System
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GM has filed a patent application for a so-called “Vehicle Detection and Isolation System for Detecting Spring and Stabilizing Bar Associated Degradation and Failures,” which is designed to identify suspension failure on a vehicle. The suspension failure detection system looks to be suitable for both human-piloted passenger vehicles and autonomous robotaxis like the Cruise Origin.
The GM patent filing has been assigned application number US 11,305,602 B2 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and was published April 19th, 2022. The patent was originally filed November 4th, 2019. The patent lists several Michigan-based engineers as the inventors, including Xinyu Du, Lichao Mai, Brian K. Saylor, Arvind Sharma, and Kevin A Cansiani.
The patent describes a suspension failure detection system and identifies specific suspension components that the system could monitor for possible degradation. The system incorporates an inertial measurement module and suspension fault detection module, the former of which collects data from a range of sensors when the vehicle is not moving, while the latter is configured to leverage this data to determine whether a fault exists in the suspension, as well as to isolate and identify the fault, and, if necessary, perform an appropriate countermeasure.
Critically, the countermeasures described include reducing vehicle speed, limiting travel distance, stopping the vehicle completely, and even autonomously navigating to a nearby repair shop.
Indeed, this system would be particularly beneficial on autonomous cars. Without an onboard pilot to detect potential faults in the suspension, a system like this would serve as a safeguard in the event that something does actually fail and there is no one around to notice. The system could also benefit human-driven vehicles by identifying potential problem areas before they become a hazard.
Just last week, GM Authority covered a GM patent filing for a cabin radiant heating system that would provide warmth to vehicle occupants in a more efficient manner than a traditional HVAC system, which would be particularly beneficial in an electric vehicle in order to maximize range without sacrificing on comfort.
As a reminder, GM will invest $35 billion into new EV and AV technologies by 2025.
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.. who is the intelligent guy here to understand and explain me those bs drawings ?
One of those pseudo-geniuses (boneheads) who voted this request down should explain the drawing to us mere mortals!
Hmmm. Looks like patent sketches, none of which really explain how this system would detect and react to failures. Guess one would have to get an actual copy of 11,305,602 B2.
The first diagram shows a mass (main rectangle) supported by two rollers through spring/viscous dampers on an incline. Only two dimensions are depicted.
The vector diagram is just the force diagram from the center of mass. mg is the mass times gravity, the weight in the vertical direction. The other arrows denote the force normal to the incline surface and parallel to that surface and note the trig equation to calculate those force components.
The second diagram shows even less than the first although the right spring appears to be shorter than the left. Broken? They have different id’s. Perhaps the text of the patent would clarify.
Spring/viscous dampers are a standard passive system to isolate vibration. Knowing the masses, spring rates (stiffness), and damping factor (resistance) one can predict how the system would respond to a given input vibration, the resonate frequently, speed of damping etc. None of that data is presented. In theory, you can work backwards; measure the input (accelerations and positions of the axle) along with the responses of the car you could calculate the corresponding spring rates and damping factors. This effort would be made more difficult by the non-rigid and variable nature of that load.
This article was not intended to actually explain how this fault detection and auto diagnosis system functions, only that GM has such a system concept protected.
Someone want to procure a copy of the patent and explain what this concept actually does?
understood those are vague vibration theory studied also by me 30 years ago in mechanical engineering studies, but there is nothing to do with the real reality. A car is not a box of 4 straight lines in XY plane. Then a spring above connected to a circular which we could understand as wheel is to laugh, it is not so. A Reality is much more difficult and complex… it is hard, not simple scheme
A Patent for Failure Detection… by GM!
Self-destructing Engines…
Disintegrating Wheels…
Peeling Paint…
Failing Windshield Wipers…
Uncontrollable Shaking…
Airbags…
And the Special GM Ignitions…
Yep, its time for a Patent.