THE PATENTS ACT, 1970

(39 of 1970) & The Patents Rules 2003

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(SECTION 10 and Rule 13)

1. Title of the invention:

A CONTROLLER AND METHOD TO DETERMINE ROLLOVER OF A VEHICLE WITHOUT USING ROLLOVER SENSOR

2. Applicants: a. Name: Bosch Global Software Technologies Private Limited Nationality: INDIA

Address: 123, Industrial Layout, Hosur Road, Koramangala, Bangalore - 560095, Karnataka, India b. Name: Robert Bosch GmbH Nationality: GERMANY

Address: Feuerbach, Stuttgart, Germany

Complete Specification:

The following specification describes and ascertains the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed. Field of the invention:

[0001] The present invention relates to a controller and method to determine rollover of a vehicle without using rollover sensor.

Background of the invention:

[0002] A rollover condition of a vehicle must be identified to cut off the fuel supply in fuel lines and also to stop the ignition immediately. Without this the vehicle is at a risk of catching fire. There are rollover detection strategy present with roll over sensor.

[0003] According to state of the art US5610575, a method and system for detecting vehicle roll-over is provided. The method and system for detecting a vehicle rollover utilizes a z-axis accelerometer and a processor for analyzing the accelerometer output to provide early detection/prediction of a vehicle roll-over. The output signal is substantially a positive constant value equal to the force of gravity when the vehicle is in a normal upright condition, and as the vehicle experiences a roll-over, the output signal transitions to a substantially negative constant value when the vehicle has rolled 180 DEG upside down. To provide early roll-over detection and/or prediction, the z-axis data is averaged and compared to a first threshold value set to a g-force value within a range of 0 to -1 g. Estimating a slope value, i.e. the change in z-axis data over time, can provide an additional discrimination measure to improve overall reliability, and to provide a qualitative measure of the roll over.

Brief description of the accompanying drawings:

[0004] An embodiment of the disclosure is described with reference to the following accompanying drawings,

[0005] Fig. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a controller to determine rollover of a vehicle, according to an embodiment of the present invention, and

[0006] Fig. 2 illustrates a method for determining rollover of the vehicle, according to the present invention. Detailed description of the embodiments:

[0007] Fig. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a controller to determine rollover of a vehicle, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The controller 110, characterized in that, configured to monitor values of parameters comprising, a wheel speed during an operational state of an engine 114 of the vehicle 100, and a fuel level in a fuel tank 116 of the vehicle 100. The controller 110 then configured to determine rollover of the vehicle 100 if the monitored values of the parameters satisfies respective preset conditions. The wheel speed is detected using wheel speed sensor 102, and the fuel level is measured using a fuel level sensor 104 in the vehicle 100. The wheel speed sensor 102 and the fuel level sensor 104 are either already existing in the vehicle 100 or newly installed based on the need. Thus, the controller 110 is able to determine rollover without using a rollover sensor.

[0008] According to the present invention and as per the preset condition for wheel speed as parameter, the controller 110 configured to detect continues decrease in vehicle speed in comparison to last recorded vehicle speed (in simple words, continuous decrease in the vehicle speed), and receive wheel speed signal of only rear wheel. Similarly, as per the preset condition for fuel level as parameter, the controller 110 configured to detect change in fuel level in a disturbed pattern comprising at least one increasing-decreasing values, and detect the disturbed pattern in a calibratable time duration.

[0009] According to the present invention, the controller 110 is provided with necessary signal detection, acquisition, and processing circuits. The controller 110 is the control unit which comprises input/output interfaces having pins or ports, a memory element 108 such as Random Access Memory (RAM) and/or Read Only Memory (ROM), Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) and a Digital-to-Analog Convertor (DAC), clocks, timers, counters and at least one processor (capable of implementing machine learning) connected with each other and to other components through communication bus channels. The memory element 108 is prestored with logics or instructions or programs or applications or modules/models and/or threshold values/ranges, which is/are accessed by the at least one processor as per the defined routines. The internal components of the controller 110 are not explained for being state of the art, and the same must not be understood in a limiting manner. The controller 110 may also comprise communication units to communicate with ECU of the vehicle 100 or MCU of the mobile device 112, through wireless or wired means such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), 3G, 4G, 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, serial networks, and the like. The controller 110 is implementable in the form of System-in-Package (SiP) or System-on-Chip (SOC) or any other known types.

[0010] In accordance to an embodiment of the present invention, the controller 110 is at least one of an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) of the vehicle 100 and a Mobile Control Unit (MCU) of the mobile device 112 in communication with the vehicle 100. In case of the mobile device 112, the MCU of the mobile device 112 is interfaced with the ECU of the vehicle 100 either through wireless or wired manner as known in the art, such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), type C cable, micro-USB cable, Bluetooth™, Wi-Fi, Near Field Communication (NFC), etc. In case of the vehicle 100, the ECU is at least one of an Engine Management System (EMS) unit, a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) unit, a Telematics Control Unit (TCU), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) unit, a Body Control Unit (BCU), a Human- Machine Interface (HMI) unit, other vehicular control units, and a combination thereof. The ECU either functions standalone or in communication with the MCU. Similarly, the mobile device 112 corresponds to electronic computing devices such as smartphone, tablets, wearable electronics such as smart watch, smart glasses, etc.

[0011] According to the present invention, a working of the controller 110 is described. Consider the vehicle 100 to be a motorcycle without any rollover sensor. Assuming that the user is driving the motorcycle. The EMS ECU stores the data for the predetermined time e.g. for drive cycle, rasters, etc., in the memory element 108. Alternatively, the ECU continuously transmits the data to the smartphone over Bluetooth™ if connected. Consider the vehicle 100 rolls over due to an accident. The controller 110 keeps checking the engine status as working or operational, using engine speed sensor 106 or other means known in the art. The controller 110 then monitors and detects that vehicle speed is decreasing, and only the wheel speed from the rear wheel is getting updated/detected. Further, the controller 110 monitors and detects the change in the fuel level, as measured by the fuel level sensor 104, to be changing suddenly in disturbed pattern in at least one positive-negative manner or increasing-decreasing direction successively in a threshold time duration. In other words, a haphazard splash of the fuel inside the fuel tank 116 is determined using the fuel level sensor 104. Once the conditions related to all the parameters are monitored and found to be satisfied, the controller 110 determines and confirms the occurrence of the rollover. Once the rollover is detected, the controller 110 proceeds with the cutting off the supply of fuel and turning off ignition. The controller 110 may also send emergency signal for help to emergency contact or nearby hospitals either directly from the vehicle through built-in TCU or through the connected mobile device 112.

[0012] In another example, the user, such as driver, rider, or pillion rider, is provided with the smartphone as the mobile device 112. The user installs a mobile application in the smartphone and connects to the EMS ECU of the vehicle 100 over Bluetooth™. Both the smartphone and the EMS ECU are in sync or synchronized with time. The smartphone itself is connected with the external entity which provides emergency services through known telecommunication networks, such as 3G, 4G, 5G, Global System for Mobile (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), etc. The MCU receives the signals from the TCU of the vehicle 100 and monitors the values of parameters, followed by determining rollover if the monitored values of the parameters satisfies respective preset conditions. Once the rollover is confirmed, the MCU then sends the control signal to the ECU for fuel cut off or ignition off. The MCU also sends alert signal to emergency contacts. The use of mobile device 112 is optional. [0013] Fig. 2 illustrates a method for determining rollover of the vehicle, according to the present invention. The method is characterized by plurality of steps of which a step 202 comprises monitoring, by the controller 110, values of parameters comprising, the wheel speed during an operational state of the engine 114, and the fuel level in the fuel tank 116 of the vehicle 100. A step 204 comprises determining, by the controller 110, rollover of the vehicle 100 if monitored values of the parameters satisfies respective preset conditions. The preset condition for wheel speed as parameter comprises detecting, by the controller 110, the continuous decrease in vehicle speed in comparison to last recorded vehicle speed, and receiving wheel speed signal of only rear wheel. The preset condition for fuel level as parameter comprises detecting, by the controller 110, change of fuel level in the disturbed pattern comprising at least one increasing-decreasing values, and detecting the disturbed pattern in the calibratable time duration. The disturbed pattern is specifically to detect the sudden movement of fuel in the fuel tank 116 when the vehicle 100 rolls over.

[0014] According to the method, the wheel speed is detected using wheel speed sensor 102, and the fuel level is measured using the fuel level sensor 104 (either existing or retrofit) in the vehicle 100. The method is executed/performed by at least one of the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) of the vehicle 100 and the Mobile Control Unit (MCU) of the mobile device 112 in communication with the vehicle 100.

[0015] According to the present invention, the controller 110 and method are implementable as redundant to already existing rollover sensor, in scenarios where the rollover sensor malfunctions or becomes faulty. According to another embodiment, the disturbed pattern is not limited to the above, but calibratable based on different rollover scenarios. The different disturbed pattern is possible to be identified based on extensive testing and storing the same in the memory element 108 for comparison and confirmation of rollover of the vehicle 100. [0016] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the controller 110 and the method aids in detection of rollover of the vehicle 100 using the fuel level sensor 104. In other words, the controller 110 and the method detects the roll over condition without any additional sensor. The following conditions are checked to detect the roll over situation. The engine 114 has to be in running condition and then if vehicle speed is decreasing and only rear wheel speed is getting updated and if there is too much/drastic fluctuation in fuel level in positive and negative direction (or upwards or downwards multiple times in a very short period of time), then it is determined as the vehicle 100 has rolled over. The cost of the rollover sensor is avoided. Moreover, the present invention is usable as redundancy without installation of any hardware, but using the existing sensors of the vehicle 100.

[0017] It should be understood that the embodiments explained in the description above are only illustrative and do not limit the scope of this invention. Many such embodiments and other modifications and changes in the embodiment explained in the description are envisaged. The scope of the invention is only limited by the scope of the claims.