Piezoelectric based system and method for determining tire load

1. A method of electronically determining tire load, comprising:

determining tire pressure within a tire using a pressure sensor that is part of an in tire

module mounted on the tire;

determining a contact patch angle related to the tire's operation within a contact patch area adjacent to a ground surface by analyzing an output of a piezoelectric sensor provided as part of the in tire module mounted on the tire, the contact patch angle indicative of an angular portion of the tire that is in contact with the ground surface;

electronically comparing the determined tire pressure and the one or more contact patch parameters to a database of known values to determine a corresponding tire load value for the tire; and

providing the determined corresponding tire load value for the tire as electronic output,

wherein determining the contact patch angle for a given iteration of the piezoelectric sensor traveling through the contact patch area comprises subtracting a contact patch exit time from a contact patch entry time to obtain a first difference; obtaining a second difference by measuring an amount of time for one revolution of the tire; and dividing the first difference by the second difference.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more contact patch parameters comprise a plurality of contact patch parameters respectively associated with a plurality of piezoelectric elements provided within the piezoelectric sensor.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said one or more contact patch parameters comprises one or more of a contact patch entry time, contact patch exit time, total contact patch time and contact patch angle.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tire pressure is determined using an absolute pressure gauge.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining tire pressure comprises determining absolute tire pressure by measuring both pressure and temperature within a tire.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of transmitting the tire pressure and the one or more contact patch parameters to a location remote from the tire.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of providing operational power for various electronic components within the tire from a separate piezoelectric element than the piezoelectric sensor.

8. A piezoelectric system for determining tire load within a tire, comprising:

a sensor configured to measure tire pressure;

a plurality of piezoelectric elements configured to generate one or more respective electric signals indicative of tire deformation at entry into and exit from a contact patch area present within the tire when the tire is rolling along a ground surface and supporting a load;

a first microprocessor for receiving the electric signal output from said plurality of piezoelectric elements and determining one or more contact patch parameters, wherein the one or more contact patch parameters comprise an interpolation of data points obtained across the plurality of piezoelectric elements;

a memory for storing a look-up table correlating known combinations of tire pressure and contact patch parameters to tire load values such that an electronic comparison can be made of the tire pressure and the one or more contact patch parameters to the look-up table stored in memory to determine a corresponding tire load value; and

an output device for relaying the determined corresponding tire load value as electronic output

wherein the plurality of piezoelectric elements are provided to match up with selected tread ribs for determining the load experienced by each of the selected tread ribs along the contact patch area; wherein said plurality of piezoelectric elements are configured in a linear array with selected piezoelectric elements aligned relative to selected tread ribs of a tire.

9. The piezoelectric system of claim 8 , further comprising an additional piezoelectric element used for generating power for selected electronic components within the piezoelectric system such that none of the one or more piezoelectric elements configured to generate one or more respective electric signals indicative of tire deformation is used for power generation within the tire.

10. The piezoelectric system of claim 8 , wherein said system comprises an in-tire module containing said sensor configured to measure tire pressure and said one or more piezoelectric elements.

11. The piezoelectric system of claim 10 , wherein said in-tire module contains said first microprocessor and a wireless transceiver.

12. The piezoelectric system of claim 10 , wherein said system comprises a vehicle on-board system configured to wirelessly receive the tire pressure and the one or more contact patch parameters for a plurality of tires within a vehicle.

13. The piezoelectric system of claim 12 , wherein said vehicle on-board system comprises said memory for storing a look-up table and a second microprocessor communicatively coupled to said memory and configured to implement the electronic comparison of tire pressure and the one or more contact patch parameters to the look-up table stored in memory to determine a corresponding tire load value.

14. The piezoelectric system of claim 8 , wherein said one or more contact patch parameters comprises one or more of a contact patch entry time, contact patch exit time, total contact patch time and contact patch angle for each of said one or more piezoelectric elements.