阅读说明：本技术 用于确定湿路状况的系统和方法 (System and method for determining wet road condition ) 是由 M·克雷奇曼 A-S·钦波内留 于 2020-09-18 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及用于确定湿路状况的系统和方法。根据本发明的一个方面,一种用于确定湿路状况的方法包括接收从与车辆(11)的车轮(W1)相关联的传感器(12-1)接收的RF信号(R1)的接收信号强度指数(RSSI)的值,将该值与预定阈值进行比较,并且在该值小于预定阈值的情况下,确定满足湿路状况并输出预滑水警告信号。(The invention relates to a system and a method for determining wet road conditions. According to one aspect of the invention, a method for determining wet road conditions includes receiving a value of a Received Signal Strength Index (RSSI) of an RF signal (R1) received from a sensor (12-1) associated with a wheel (W1) of a vehicle (11), comparing the value with a predetermined threshold, and in the event that the value is less than the predetermined threshold, determining that wet road conditions are met and outputting a pre-hydroplaning warning signal.)

1. A method for determining wet road conditions, the method comprising:

receiving a value of a Received Signal Strength Index (RSSI) of an RF signal transmitted from a sensor (12-1) associated with a wheel (W1) of a vehicle (11);

comparing said value with a predetermined threshold value, an

In the case where the value is less than the predetermined threshold value, it is determined that the wet condition is satisfied and a pre-hydroplaning warning signal is output.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the RF signal from the sensor (12-1) and determining an RSSI of the RF signal.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein a reference RSSI for a dry condition is determined during a known dry condition.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a reference RSSI for a dry condition is established for a particular wheel (W1).

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a reference RSSI for a dry condition is established for the particular wheel (W1) as a function of an angular position of the particular wheel (W1).

6. The method of any of claims 3 to 5, wherein the predetermined threshold is set to a value less than a reference RSSI for dry conditions.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sensors (12-1, 12-2, 12-3, 12-4) are sensors of a Tire Parameter Monitoring System (TPMS) attached to wheels (W1, W2, W3, W4) of the vehicle (11).

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the pre-aquaplaning warning signal triggers a passive warning to a driver of the vehicle (11), and/or the pre-aquaplaning warning signal is sent to an active vehicle control system of the vehicle (11), and/or the pre-aquaplaning warning signal is sent to another object outside the vehicle (11).

9. The method of any of claims 1 to 7, further comprising:

receiving another value of RSSI of an RF signal transmitted from another sensor (12-2) associated with another wheel (W2) of the vehicle (11), and

comparing said further value with a further predetermined threshold value, an

In case the further value is smaller than the further predetermined threshold value, determining that a wet condition is fulfilled and outputting a pre-hydroplaning warning signal, wherein the wheel (W1) and the further wheel (W2) are driving wheels of the vehicle (11).

10. The method of any of claims 1 to 9, further comprising:

receiving at least one additional signal indicative of wet road conditions or pre-hydroplaning conditions, an

Determining that a pre-aquaplaning condition is met and outputting the pre-aquaplaning warning signal in response to the at least one additional signal and the value of the RSSI of the received RF signal (R1, R2, R3, R4) being less than a predetermined threshold.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the additional signal comprises a positive signal from a camera detecting a wet road or a positive signal from a rain sensor associated with a windshield of the vehicle (11).

12. A system (10) for determining wet road conditions, the system (10) comprising:

at least one sensor (12-1, 12-2, 12-3, 12-4) emitting an RF signal (R1, R2, R3, R4), the sensor (12-1, 12-2, 12-3, 12-4) being attached to a wheel (W1, W2, W3, W4) of a vehicle (11),

a receiving unit (13) for receiving the RF signal from the sensors (12-1, 12-2, 12-3, 12-4),

a processing unit (14) for determining the RSSI of the RF signal (R1, R2, R3, R4), for comparing the RSSI with a predetermined threshold value stored in a memory, and for outputting a pre-aquaplaning warning signal if the RSSI is below the predetermined threshold value.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the pre-hydroplaning warning signal is sent to an output unit which outputs a passive warning signal to a driver of the vehicle (11) and/or to an active vehicle control system of the vehicle (11) and/or to another vehicle and/or to another object outside the vehicle (11).

14. The system of claim 12 or 13, wherein the sensor (12-1, 12-2, 12-3, 12-4) is part of a TPMS, and the sensor (12-1, 12-2, 12-3, 12-4) senses at least one of tire pressure, or temperature, or tire radial acceleration, or tire tangential acceleration.

15. A computer program product comprising processor-executable instructions for performing the method of any one of claims 1 to 11.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a system and method for determining wet road conditions. Determining wet road conditions may be used to assist and/or increase the reliability of detecting pre-hydroplaning conditions of a vehicle.

Background

Hydroplaning or hydroplaning describes the phenomenon of a vehicle tire floating on a film of water on a wet road. A water wedge is pushed out under the tire contact area, which results in a loss of grip between the tire and the road. Therefore, during a hydroplaning, steering and braking forces cannot be transmitted from the vehicle to the road via the tires, so that the vehicle cannot be controlled by the active vehicle control system either. Thus, it would be desirable to identify the risk of aquaplaning before it actually occurs, so that the driver driving the vehicle or an active vehicle control system can take appropriate action to avoid aquaplaning.

Document WO 2019/020536 a1 discloses a method for monitoring the behaviour of vehicle tyres to determine the risk of hydroplaning before the occurrence of hydroplaning, wherein the asymmetry between the front and rear sides of the tyre footprint is determined. US 2018/293448 a1 discloses a method for determining wet road conditions using a camera to determine and evaluate the characteristic properties of water bloom at and in the surrounding space of one or more wheels of a vehicle in order to determine an increased risk of water slip. However, further improvements that more reliably and easily determine conditions indicative of a risk of aquaplaning are desirable.

Disclosure of Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for determining wet road conditions, the method comprising receiving a value of a Received Signal Strength Index (RSSI) of an RF (radio frequency) signal transmitted from a sensor associated with a wheel of a vehicle. The RSSI value of the RF signal is compared with a predetermined threshold value, and in the case where the RSSI value of the RF signal is less than the predetermined threshold value, it is determined that the wet condition is satisfied and a pre-hydroplaning warning signal is output.

The Received Signal Strength Index (RSSI) of an RF signal is a relative unit that represents the power of the RF signal that the device is receiving. The higher the RSSI value, the better the signal strength. Some systems use a negative scale so that RSSI values closer to 0 indicate higher signal strength.

RF signals are affected by a phenomenon known as rain fade, which is the absorption of radio frequency signals by atmospheric rain. Therefore, the RSSI of the RF signal transmitted through a path containing water droplets (e.g., the case of water splashed by the wheels of a vehicle when the vehicle is traveling on a wet surface (e.g., a wet road)) is smaller than the RSSI value of the signal transmitted in a dry condition.

The sensor is typically part of another component that is fitted to the wheel of the vehicle and is therefore associated with that wheel. The sensor or assembly including the sensor may also be fitted to the body structure and positioned adjacent to, and thus associated with, the wheel.

The wheel assembly component (WFC) hosting the sensor is associated with, e.g., attached to, a wheel of the vehicle, while the receiver receiving the RF signal may be located within or under the vehicle. This arrangement means that the propagation path of the RF signal from the sensor to the receiver includes around the wheel where water is splashed when the wheel is travelling on a wet surface such as a wet road. The RSSI of the RF signal transmitted by the sensor will be affected by the presence of water between the sensor and the receiver at the wheels of the vehicle.

Thus, the RSSI value measured or received by the receiver device may be compared with a predetermined or reference RSSI value known to correspond to a dry road condition. If the received RSSI value is lower than the reference RSSI value, this indicates an increased risk of wet roads and aquaplaning.

The RSSI value depends not only on the RF transmission characteristics of the propagation environment, but also on the geometry of the propagation path. For example, when the sensor is close to the caliper, less of its transmitted power passes through and is received, and thus the RSSI corresponds to a small RF signal. This is equivalent to the RSSI value depending not only on the dry or wet road conditions, but also on the rotation angle of the wheel hosting the sensor. The angle of rotation is typically provided by an ABS/ESP sensor on each wheel and may be made available to a receiver/processing unit.

In some embodiments, a value of RSSI may be received. In other embodiments, an RF signal transmitted by the sensor is received, and the RSSI of the RF signal is then determined from the received RF signal.

In some embodiments, an average of the RSSI may be used in the method. By averaging several RSSI values transmitted at various rotation angles, the angle dependence can be reduced. In such embodiments, the average received RSSI is compared to a reference average RSSI to determine whether wet condition exists or, in some embodiments, whether dry condition exists.

In some embodiments, the RSSI maps for the angle (at the time of reception) of the wheel to which the sensor that transmits the RF signal is attached or associated, and compares the value to a known reference RSSI corresponding to the condition of the trunk at that same angle. Accordingly, dry or wet condition decisions may be made.

In some embodiments, an average or angular mapping of RSSI values for the dry road condition (e.g., measured during product development) may be predetermined and preprogrammed in the receiving unit/processor program memory.

In some embodiments, an average or angle map of RSSI values for a dry road condition may be learned in situ by including information that the road is dry. For example, the information may be obtained from or determined using a rain sensor associated with a windshield of the vehicle.

In some embodiments, a reference RSSI in dry condition may be used as the predetermined threshold. In some embodiments, the predetermined threshold may be determined with respect to a reference RSSI. For example, the predetermined threshold may be less than a reference RSSI for a dry condition.

Since the distance between each wheel of the vehicle, and thus the distance between the sensor that transmits the RF signal and the receiver that receives the RF signal, may be different for each wheel, in some embodiments, a reference RSSI for a dry condition is established for a particular wheel. In some embodiments, the predetermined threshold may be predetermined for each particular wheel or only some of the wheels (e.g., both drive wheels of a two-wheel drive vehicle).

The RSSI of the RF signal transmitted by the sensor may also depend on the angular position of the wheel, as the angular position of the wheel also affects the distance between the transmitter and receiver of the sensor. The angular position of the wheel when transmitting the RF signal may be determined from a sensor of the ABS or ESP system associated with the wheel.

In some embodiments, a reference RSSI for a dry condition is established for a particular wheel based on the angular position of the particular wheel. The predetermined threshold may also be predetermined based on the angular position of the wheel. In these embodiments, the angular position of the wheel at which the RF signal is transmitted is determined by a sensor associated with the wheel (e.g., a sensor of an ABS or ESP system) and is considered in determining whether wet road conditions are met.

The sensors associated with the wheels of the vehicle may be sensors of a Tire Parameter Monitoring System (TPMS) attached to the wheels of the vehicle. For example, the sensors may be used to determine one or more parameters associated with the tire, such as tire pressure or temperature or radial acceleration or tangential acceleration. Information associated with the signal (e.g., tire pressure or temperature) need not play any role in the methods described herein because it is the Received Signal Strength Index (RSSI) of the RF signal that is used in the methods. Thus, the methods described herein may be performed using vehicle components having primarily different functions, such that the methods may be cost-effectively implemented without having to include additional sensors on one or more wheels of the vehicle specifically for determining wet road conditions.

The pre-aquaplaning warning signal may be used to trigger a passive warning, such as an audio, visual and/or tactile warning, to the vehicle driver that there is an increased risk of aquaplaning conditions, so that the driver may take appropriate action, such as reducing the speed of the vehicle to avoid or at least reduce aquaplaning risk.

In some embodiments, the pre-hydroplaning warning signal is sent to an active vehicle control system of the vehicle, such as an ABS (anti-lock braking system) or an ESP (electronic stability program) system, so that the active vehicle control system may control the vehicle to avoid or at least reduce the risk of aquaplaning.

In some embodiments, the pre-roll warning signal may be used to trigger both a passive warning to the driver and to be sent to the active vehicle control system. In some embodiments, the passive warning is triggered first, followed by the output of a warning signal to the active vehicle control system. For example, an active vehicle control system may actively control the vehicle if the driver does not respond to a passive warning in an appropriate manner. In some embodiments, the passive warning and the active control of the vehicle may occur simultaneously.

In some embodiments, the pre-roll warning signal is sent to another object outside the vehicle. The object may be another vehicle with a suitable receiver. The pre-aquaplaning warning signal transmitted outside the vehicle may be information and may further comprise a geographical marker indicating a geographical location of the vehicle at which the increased risk of aquaplaning has been determined. In some embodiments, the pre-roll warning signal is sent outside the vehicle to one or more other vehicles in the surrounding area (i.e., via Car2Car communication), or to some other infrastructure or cloud system (i.e., via Car2X communication). It is also possible that one or more other vehicles can access, use, or update this information, for example in crowd sourcing detection and sharing, similar to methods and systems for traffic density estimation via moving vehicles.

In some embodiments, the wheels of the vehicle are the drive or drive wheels of the vehicle. A drive or drive wheel is a force-transmitting wheel of a motor vehicle that converts torque into traction from a tire to a road that moves the vehicle. Since the drive wheels are used to steer the vehicle, loss of traction between the drive wheels and the road can result in loss of steering control. By determining the wet condition for that wheel, appropriate action can be taken to allow the drive wheel and maintain traction to the road surface.

In some embodiments, one or more other parameters indicative of wet road conditions or an increased risk of aquaplaning may be used in the method to determine wet road conditions and output a pre-aquaplaning signal in addition to the RSSI of the received RF signal.

In some embodiments, another second value of a Received Signal Strength Index (RSSI) of another RF signal (e.g., a second RF signal) transmitted from another sensor (e.g., a second sensor) associated with another second wheel of the vehicle is received. In some embodiments, another RF signal transmitted from another sensor associated with another wheel of the vehicle is received and a value of RSSI of the other RF signal is determined. The second value of RSSI is compared to another predetermined threshold (e.g., a second predetermined threshold) and if the second value of RSSI is less than the other predetermined threshold and the value of the first RSSI from the first sensor is less than the first predetermined threshold, it is determined that the wet condition is met and a pre-hydroplaning warning signal is output. In some embodiments, the first wheel and the second wheel are drive wheels of a vehicle.

The further or second predetermined threshold may be the same as or different from the first predetermined threshold. Since the RSSI of the RF signal from each sensor associated with a different wheel of the vehicle may be different, this may be taken into account in determining the appropriate threshold for that wheel or the sensor associated with that wheel.

In some embodiments, at least one further additional signal is received, which is a non-RF signal, indicating a wet condition and/or a pre-hydroplaning condition. In response to the additional signal and one or more values of RSSI satisfying the pre-aquaplaning condition, determining that the pre-aquaplaning condition is satisfied.

Thus, in some embodiments, additional criteria are considered in determining whether wet road conditions or pre-hydroplaning conditions are met. For example, the additional signal may be a positive signal from a rain sensor associated with the windscreen of the vehicle, whereby the positive signal indicates that rain is present on the windscreen and therefore that the road on which the vehicle is travelling may be wet. The positive signal may also be a signal from a camera for detecting wet roads, for example for detecting a water bloom pattern associated with the vehicle.

By combining different types of signals to determine wet end conditions, the reliability of the method may be increased. For example, in a tunnel, a rain sensor on the windshield will not detect rain even if the road becomes wet from water brought into the tunnel by previous vehicles. Thus, in such a case, the methods described herein may be used to determine wet road conditions. In another example, in the dark, such as at night or in a tunnel, it may be more difficult to analyze the data captured from the camera to establish a splash pattern, so that the RSSI values of the RF signals from the sensors may be used instead of, or given higher weight in the determination of wet road conditions.

In some embodiments, the reference RSSI in dry condition may be determined from an average of a plurality of RSSI values received or determined for RF signals transmitted by sensors associated with wheels of the vehicle. For example, multiple values may be received or determined over a period of time to more accurately determine a reference value for RSSI in dry conditions.

In some embodiments, a plurality of RSSI values are received or determined for RF signals transmitted by sensors associated with wheels of a vehicle and used to determine whether wet road conditions are met. For example, multiple values may be received or determined over a period of time to more accurately determine whether the RSSI value remains less than a predetermined threshold over a period of time, or to determine whether the average RSSI is less than a predetermined threshold over a period of time to determine whether wet-road conditions are met.

In some embodiments, the time interval between received values of RSSI or the time interval between RF signals received from the sensors is substantially the same. In some embodiments, if one or more received values meet a certain criterion, e.g., less than a reference for RSSI in dry condition but above a predetermined threshold, the time interval between receiving RF signals or received values of RSSI is reduced. For example, when it begins to rain, the received RSSI may decrease slightly but still be higher than the value associated with the amount of rain that is more likely to result in a aquaplaning condition. The interval between the RSSI of these signals and the received RF signal may be decreased to increase the sampling rate to more accurately determine when wet-path conditions are first met.

In another aspect of the invention, a system for determining wet road conditions is also provided. The system includes at least one sensor that transmits or emits an RF signal. The sensor may be attached to a wheel of the vehicle, for example a driving wheel of the vehicle. The system further comprises a receiving unit for receiving the RF signal from the sensor, and a processing unit for determining the RSSI of the RF signal and for comparing the RSSI of the RF signal with a predetermined threshold value stored in a memory. The system also outputs a pre-aquaplaning warning signal if the RSSI value is below a predetermined threshold. The system may be used on a vehicle, such as a car or a heavy goods vehicle or any type of vehicle that is driven on a road.

The memory may be part of the processing unit or may be separate from the processing unit. The sensors may be sensors of a Tire Parameter Monitoring System (TPMS), and may sense tire pressure, temperature, tire radial acceleration, or tire tangential acceleration. However, the physical information interpreted from the RF signal may be completely independent of the system used to determine wet end conditions, as the system only uses the RSSI of the RF signal. The processing unit may comprise a processor comprising executable instructions, i.e. processor executable instructions, such as software code, for determining the RSSI of the RF signal, comparing the RSSI with a predetermined threshold, and outputting a pre-hydroplaning warning signal. The processing unit may comprise executable instructions for performing the method of any of the embodiments described herein.

In some embodiments, the system sends the pre-roll warning signal to an output unit that outputs a passive warning signal to the driver of the vehicle, e.g. an audio, visual and/or tactile signal. In addition to or instead of the passive warning signal, a pre-roll warning signal may be sent to an active vehicle control system of the vehicle. The system may send the pre-hydroplaning signal via a wired transmission path or a wireless transmission path. The system may also transmit the signal to another vehicle and/or to another object outside and external to the vehicle. These transmissions outside the vehicle are wireless.

In some embodiments, the pre-roll warning signal is sent to one or more additional vehicles, for example via a Car2Car communication, or via additional infrastructure (such as the cloud). The pre-roll warning signal may be sent to any object outside the vehicle having a receiver. The aquaplaning warning signal transmitted outside the vehicle may also include a geographical marker indicating the geographical location of the vehicle at which the increased risk of aquaplaning has been determined.

The system may also further include a camera mounted to the vehicle configured to detect wet roads, and/or a rain sensor associated with a windshield of the vehicle, for example. The system may further receive at least one additional signal indicative of a wet condition or a pre-aquaplaning condition, and determine that the pre-aquaplaning condition is met and output a pre-aquaplaning warning signal in response to receiving the at least one additional signal and the value of RSSI of the received RF signal being less than a predetermined threshold.

The processing unit of a system according to any of the embodiments described herein may comprise processable executable instructions, such as software code, for performing the method of any of the embodiments described herein.

A vehicle comprising a system according to any of the embodiments described herein is also disclosed. There is also provided a computer program product comprising executable instructions, such as software code, for performing the method of any one of the embodiments described herein. The computer program product may be a storage medium.

Drawings

Embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a system for determining wet road conditions;

fig. 2 shows a graph of RSSI of RF signals transmitted from sensors associated with wheels of a vehicle as a function of rotation angle of the wheels;

FIG. 3 shows a graph of RSSI of an RF signal transmitted from a sensor using polar coordinates;

FIG. 4 shows a graph of RSSI of the RF signals received from the sensors in dry and wet conditions;

FIG. 5 shows a flow chart of a method for determining wet road conditions.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a system 10 for determining wet road conditions. The system 10 is used on a vehicle 11 and may be part of the vehicle 11. The vehicle 11 includes four wheels W1, W2, W3, W4, each of which includes a sensor 12-1, 12-2, 12-3, 12-4 associated with the respective wheel. As shown in FIG. 1 by R1, R2, R3, R4, each sensor 12-1, 12-2, 12-3, 12-4 transmits an RF signal via a respective transmitter (not shown) to a receiver 13 of the system 10. The sensors 12-1, 12-2, 12-3, 12-4 may be sensors of a Tire Parameter Monitoring System (TPMS). The RF signals R1, R2, R4, R4 are mainly used for monitoring parameters of the tire. However, the Received Signal Strength Index (RSSI) of the RF signals R1, R2, R3, R4 is used by the system 10 to determine the wet road condition of the vehicle 11, regardless of any information indicative of tire parameters that may be derived from the RF signals.

The system 10 includes a processing unit 14, which may include a processor 15 and a memory 16. The processing unit 14 receives the value of RSSI of the RF signal from the receiver 13 and compares the value of RSSI with a predetermined threshold value stored in the memory 16. If the RSSI value is below a predetermined value, the system 10 outputs a warning signal, for example a passive warning signal such as an audio and/or visual and/or tactile signal, to the driver of the vehicle 11, or to another active vehicle control system (e.g., an ABS or ESP system) of the vehicle 11.

The RSSI of the RF signal depends on the atmospheric conditions between the transmitter and the receiver 13 in each of the transmitters, i.e., sensors 12-1, 12-2, 12-3, 12-4. In the dry condition, the RSSI of the RF signals R1, R2, R3, R4 is greater than the RSSI in the wet condition due to the rain fade phenomenon. Since the sensors 12-1, 12-2, 12-3, 12-4 are located on the respective wheels W1, W2, W3, W4 of the vehicle 11, and the wheels W1, W2, W3, W4 are in contact with the wet road surface, the RF signals emitted by the sensors 12-1, 12-2, 12-3, 12-4 are affected by the wet condition such that the RSSI of the RF signals is lower in the wet condition than in the dry condition. Thus, by determining the RSSI of the RF signal from the sensors 12-1, 12-2, 12-3, 12-4 and comparing this value to a known predetermined threshold (e.g., the RSSI of the sensor in a dry condition or some other predetermined threshold), a wet condition and a wet condition indicative of an increased risk of aquaplaning may be determined.

Fig. 2 shows a graph of measured values of RSSI of sensors attached to a wheel of a vehicle as a function of the angle of rotation of the wheel. Fig. 3 shows a polar diagram of these values.

The RSSI values of the RF signals from the sensors associated with each of the four wheels of the vehicle are shown to indicate that the average RSSI value is different for each wheel because the transmission path between each of the sensors and the receiver is different. For example, the distance between the sensor and the receiver 13 may be different for different wheels. The material through which the RF signal from each sensor is transmitted to the receiver may also be different, resulting in different average values of RSSI for different wheels of the vehicle.

Fig. 2 and 3 also indicate that the value of RSSI may depend on the angle of rotation of the wheel about its axis. In some embodiments, the average of the RSSI values may be calculated by collecting the RSSI values of the particular wheel in a dry condition over a period of time, and the average of the RSSI values independent of wheel angle may be used as a predetermined threshold or as a reference value for determining a predetermined reference value.

In some embodiments, the angular correlation value of the RSSI of the wheel in dry condition may be used as an angular correlation predetermined threshold or as a reference value for determining an angular correlation predetermined reference value.

In some embodiments, RSSI values of RF signals transmitted from individual sensors associated with individual ones of the wheels may be used to determine wet road conditions. The wheels may be drive wheels as these wheels require traction between the tire and the road to provide steering control. In some embodiments, RF signals from two or more sensors associated with two or more wheels may be used in the method. In some embodiments, RF signals from two sensors associated with two drive wheels may be used.

Fig. 4 shows a graph of RSSI values received from sensors attached to vehicle wheels as a function of time in region D during dry conditions and in region W during wet conditions. The RSSI values are indicated by dots in fig. 4. In addition, the solid line indicates the vehicle speed (in km/h) as a function of time. In dry conditions, the average RSSI value (schematically indicated by line RD in fig. 4) of the RF signals received from the sensors attached to the wheels is higher than the average RSSI value schematically indicated by line RW in wet conditions. This indicates that by determining the value of RSSI of the RF signal and determining whether the value is less than a predetermined value (e.g., RD), it can be determined that a wet condition exists and thus whether the wet condition is satisfied. The determination of wet road conditions may be taken as an indication of an increased risk of presence of aquaplaning.

In other embodiments, the predetermined value may be selected to be between values RD and RW, since aquaplaning is more likely to occur in very humid conditions, which will result in a lower RSSI of the RF signal than in less humid conditions.

FIG. 5 shows a flowchart 20 of a method for determining wet road conditions of a vehicle. In block 21, a value of a Received Signal Strength Index (RSSI) of an RF signal transmitted from a sensor associated with a wheel of a vehicle is received. The RSSI value is compared to a predetermined threshold at decision diamond 22. If the value is less than the predetermined threshold (decision yes), the method determines that the wet condition is met and proceeds to block 23 and outputs a pre-aquaplaning warning signal. If the value is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold (decision no), the method continues to receive another RSSI value for another RF signal transmitted from the sensor or another sensor associated with another wheel of the vehicle and repeats the method described by the flow chart.

In summary, the effect of rain on the transmission characteristics and strength of the RF signal is used to provide pre-hydroplaning detection.

In one embodiment, the RSSI of the RF signal is sampled at a certain speed and at random times relative to the rotation of the wheel, and its average is calculated and stored for that wheel. A sufficient number of samples are used so that variations in the angular variations are eliminated. When the road becomes wet or wet and splashing occurs, a decrease in the average RSSI relative to the stored reference value is determined, from which the presence of water can be determined. This determination of the presence of water may be used in conjunction with other indications of a wet condition (e.g., a signal from a rain sensor on a vehicle windshield, which is indicative of rain) to determine wet conditions.

In another embodiment, high speed sampling of the RSSI is used. The RSSI value is measured together with the wheel rotation angle provided by the ESP/ABS sensor. The mean and standard deviation depending on the angle of rotation are calculated and stored in a selected number of ranges (bins) as reference values when the road is known to be dry. This phase of the method may be referred to as the learning phase. Then, the RSSI and its corresponding angle are continuously measured. Water is suspected if at some point the RSSI drops below an acceptable range determined from the stored mean and standard deviation. The method continues and if the behavior is maintained over many angular ranges until sufficient likelihood is obtained, a signal for the presence of water is confirmed (validate).

List of reference numerals

10 system

11 vehicle

12-1 sensor

12-2 sensor

12-3 sensor

12-4 sensor

13 receiver

14 processing unit

15 processor

16 memory

20 flow chart

21 frame

22 decision diamond

23 frame

R1, R2, R3, R4 RF signals

W1, W2, W3 and W4.