IP Library Granted Patent US 12,361,771
Granted Patent B2
US 12,361,771 · App. 17/828,894 · Granted Jul 15, 2025

Prediction and identification of potential bearing anomalies within an electric motor of an electric vehicle

Inventors: Mohamed Moustafa El-Gammal (Windsor, CA); Juergen Guenther Zybell (Novi, MI)
Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
G07C5/0816B60L3/0061G01M13/045G07C5/10B60L2240/12B60L2240/425B60L2240/429G07C5/008
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,361,771
App. No.
17/828,894
Granted
Jul 15, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods for predicting an anomaly within an electric motor of an electric vehicle. One method includes receiving sensor information from a knock sensor, wherein the sensor information represents a detected vibration of the electric motor, deriving, from the sensor information, a signal characteristic, determining, based on the signal characteristic, a potential anomaly within the electric motor, and generating an alert to user based on the potential anomaly.

Claims (31)

1. A system for predicting an anomaly in an electric vehicle, the system comprising:

an electric motor;

a knock sensor; and

an electronic processor, the electronic processor configured to:

receive sensor information from the knock sensor, wherein the sensor information represents a detected vibration of a bearing of the electric motor;

derive, from the sensor information, a signal characteristic;

determine, based on the signal characteristic, a potential anomaly within the electric motor;

identify, based on the signal characteristic, that the potential anomaly is a torque ripple within the electric motor caused by a source within the electric vehicle other than the bearing of the electric motor, and

generate an alert to a user based on the potential anomaly.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining the potential anomaly within the electric motor is further based on historic data of a plurality of other electric vehicles.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein determining the potential anomaly within the electric motor includes utilizing an artificial intelligence algorithm.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining the potential anomaly includes identifying a type of bearing fault of the electric motor.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the type of bearing fault includes at least one selected from the group consisting of an outer ring damage, an inner ring damage, a ball damage, a rivet damage, a corrosion damage, an electric current damage, a pre-pitting damage, and a dirt level.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electric motor is an electric axle.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining the potential anomaly is further based on at least one selected from the group consisting of a coolant inlet temperature, a coolant outlet temperature, a vehicle speed, and an electric motor current.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein deriving the signal characteristic includes filtering out a background vibrational component from the sensor information.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electric vehicle is a hybrid vehicle or a fuel cell electric vehicle.

10. A method for predicting an anomaly within an electric motor of an electric vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving sensor information from a knock sensor, wherein the sensor information represents a detected vibration of the electric motor;

deriving, from the sensor information, a signal characteristic;

determining, based on the signal characteristic, a potential anomaly within the electric motor;

identifying, based on the signal characteristic, that the potential anomaly is a torque ripple within the electric motor caused by a source within the electric vehicle other than the bearing of the electric motor, and

generating an alert to a user based on the potential anomaly.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the potential anomaly within the electric motor is further based on historic data of a plurality of other electric vehicles.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining the potential anomaly within the electric motor includes utilizing an artificial intelligence algorithm.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the potential anomaly includes identifying a type of bearing fault of the electric motor.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the type of bearing fault includes at least one selected from the group consisting of an outer ring damage, an inner ring damage, a ball damage, a rivet damage, a corrosion damage, an electric current damage, a pre-pitting damage, and a dirt level.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the electric motor is an electric axle.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the potential anomaly is further based on at least one selected from the group consisting of a coolant inlet temperature, a coolant outlet temperature, a vehicle speed, and an electric motor current.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein deriving the signal characteristic includes filtering out a background vibrational component from the sensor information.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the electric vehicle is a hybrid vehicle or a fuel cell electric vehicle.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 31, 2022
From: EL-GAMMAL, MOHAMED MOUSTAFA; ZYBELL, JUERGEN GUENTHER
To: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
Reel/Frame 060059/0511 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230386270A1 · Nov 30, 2023
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