A METHOD OF DETERMINING A LOAD MEASUREMENT VALUE

Abstract: A method of determining a load measurement value in dynamic weighing of an object passing over a weighing platform supported by load-sensing means generating a load-dependent weighing signal (S) which rises from basic level to a peak level, to subsequently fall to the basic level. An at least approximative signal peak value (Speak) is determined as representing the weighed load. The weighing signal is integrated at least during a time interval (t1-t5) about the point where the signal peak value is determined in order to produce a summation result, the time interval being recorded as a measurement time factor (M). Further, a form factor (F) for the weighing signal is calculated in the form of the ratio of the summation result, i.e. the integrated area under the weighing signal (S) for the time interval (t1-t5), to a corresponding rectangular area that would be obtained in static weighing, i.e. the product of a peak value and the above time interval. Finally, the load measurement value is determined as the above signal peak value with a resolution depending on a quality factor Q = F . M . k, wherein k is a factor chosen while taking into consideration the weighing conditions.

Description: A METHOD OF DETERMINING A LOAD MEASUREMENT VALUE Technical Field The present invention relates to a method of deter- mining a load measurement value in dynamic weighing, wherein an object to be weighed passes, while in motion, over a weighing platform supported by load-sensing means which then generate a load-dependent weighing signal which rises from a basic level to a peak level to subsequently fall to the basic level, which corresponds to t. : , ?. object moving onto the weighing platform, being situated in its entirety on the weighing platform, and moving out from the weighing platform, said method comprising the step" of determining an at least approximative signal peak value as representing the weighed load. The invention is especially applicable to dynamic weighing of vehicles travelling at a high speed, e.g. in traffic controls. Technical Background When weighing a vehicle or other object moving over a weighing platform, it is extremely difficult to obtain reproducible and accurate measurement values. This diffi¬ culty is especially pronounced in traffic controls on roads with very high maximum speed limits, e.g. motorways and the like, and where different sorts of vehicles are to be found, ranging from light private cars to heavy lorries. Tests have shown that the analog weighing signal then becomes very irregular, involving sudden, strong sig¬ nal variations conditioned e.g. by vibrations of the wheels, movements of the wheel suspensions, stones or the like stuck in the tyre tread, and so forth. Objects of the Invention One object of the present invention is to improve the above method to enable the load measurement value to be determined with improved accuracy and with a resolution reflecting the actual quality of the measuring operation. Another object of the invention is to provide such a method, which also permits the velocity of the object passing over the weighing platform to be determined in an advantageous manner and without any special separate velo- city-measuring equipment, as has previously been required. A further object of the invention is to provide such a method, which also is well-suited for low-velocity weigh ing. Summary of the Invention According to the invention, these objects are achieve by a method having the distinctive features recited in the appended claims. Thus, the method according to the invention is essen¬ tially characterised by integrating the weighing signal, at least during a time interval about the point where the signal peak value is determined, in order to produce a summation result, said time interval being recorded as a measurement time factor M; calculating a form factor F for the weighing signal in the form of the ratio of the summa- tion result, i.e. the integrated area under the weighing signal for said time interval, to a corresponding rectan¬ gular area that would be obtained in static weighing, i.e. the product of a peak value and said time interval; and determining the load measurement value as said at least approximative signal peak value with a resolution depend¬ ing on the form factor F and the measurement time factor M. The latter is preferably done by taking into account a quality factor Q = F • M • k, wherein k is a factor chosen while taking into considera¬ tion the weighing conditions. The better the quality fac¬ tor is, the more figures can be included in the load mea- surement value, i.e. resolution can be increased. The form factor F will be a measure of the quality of the obtained signal compared with the result of static weighing of the same mass. It will be appreciated that th form factor is affected by the signal course, regardless of whether the weighing takes place at high or low velo¬ city, although the likelihood of signal disturbances natu¬ rally is much greater when the velocity is very high. Given the above definition of the form factor (the inverted ratio may also be used), the form factor will at best be 1, and this number will decrease as the form factor deteriorates. The measurement time factor M is a measure of the velocity of the object moving over the weighing platform. This factor will not, however, indicate the velocity with exactitude, since the length of the pressure surface of the object against the weighing platform is not known. A high measurement time factor indicates that it takes a long time for object to move over the weighing platform, i.e. that the velocity is low, and vice versa. According to the invention, F and M can now be weigh¬ ed to give an indication of the weighing quality. A high form factor F and a high measurement time fac¬ tor M indicate that the conditions are optimal, resulting in the highest resolution. A low form factor F and a low measurement time factor M indicate a poor signal curve and a very high velocity, i.e. the poorest conditions, resulting in the lowest reso¬ lution or even a rejection of the measurement value. As will be appreciated, there are many combinations therebetween, obviously resulting in varying degrees of resolution. Generally speaking, a high form factor F may under some conditions compensate for a low measurement time factor, and vice versa. Conveniently, the factor k is chosen empirically, and it has been found that this choice should especially be influenced by the measured peak value S (i.e. depend¬ ing on whether the load is light or heavy) and the actual velocity V of the object moving over the weighing plat¬ form. In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the following formula applies Q = F • M • k (S,V). As will be apparent further on, the method according to the invention enables the velocity V to be determined in a relatively simple way. The fact that the weighing signal, according to the invention, is integrated, has been found to be of great significance, in that brief signal variations, such as spikes and the like, (e.g. generated by a stone stuck " in a tyre tread) have but a small impact on the measuring result. As a rule, such signal disturbances only result in small integrated areas. In addition, they often cancel each other out to a great extent, since an upwardly directed spike is generally followed by a downwardly directed spike, or the other way round. It has been found suitable to generate a weighing sig¬ nal having a pulse frequency proportional to the weighed load in order to enable simpler signal processing. For this purpose, use can be made of an analog-frequency converter. Integration of the weighing signal is then easily performed by counting the pulses of the weighing signal. According to the invention, it has proved advanta¬ geous to integrate the weighing signal during a number of successive part time intervals, each part integration yielding a part result easy to store. Typically, a part time interval has a duration of about 4-5 milliseconds. Since each part result is an integrated value, the part results will be comparatively accurate and correct, also when the signal curve is not even, but exhibits varia¬ tions, spikes, and so forth. Further, it will be appre- ciated that the number of values that have to be stored for the signal curve in order to record its general course in a reliable manner, thus is drastically reduced, compar- ed with continuous storage of the amplitude of the signal curve. In addition, such continuous storage would result in unreliable recordings, owing to the unevenness of the signal curve. When integration is performed during part time inter¬ vals as above, the measurement time factor M can be easily determined as the number of part time intervals during which integration has taken place. If the object thus passes over the weighing platform at a very low velocity, the number of part time intervals will obviously be very large. Thus, the weighing signal will be at its peak value during a large number of part time intervals. In this case, i.e. when the number of part time intervals exceeds a predetermined value, it is possible within the scope of the invention to integrate the weigh¬ ing signal only during a certain fixed number of succes¬ sive part time intervals occurring about the peak value of the weighing signal. It will be appreciated that the form factor will then be close to 1, i.e. be at a value corre¬ sponding to that which would be the result of static, ideal weighing. Conveniently, a peak value of the weighing signal is determined as a maximum part result or a part result obtained in the integration during a certain part time interval, or alternatively as the mean value of a number of part results lying about the maximum part result obtained or certain part time interval mentioned above. The latter may e.g. be the part time interval in the middle of the part time intervals during which integration has taken place. Of course, this requires that the part results for the weighing signal be stored, at least until the required calculations have been performed. As will be appreciated, the determined peak value can be used both as the at least approximative signal peak value mentioned above and as a peak value for the calcula¬ tion of the form factor. As mentioned earlier, the velocity of the object mov¬ ing over the weighing platform can be determined according to the invention. This is done by fixing the point of time when the pressure surface of the object against the weigh¬ ing platform is halfway onto the platform, as well as the point of time when the pressure surface of the object is halfway out of the weighing platform; calculating the time elapsing between these two points of time; and calculat¬ ing, on the basis of the calculated time and the known length of the weighing platform in the direction of tra¬ vel, the velocity V of the object when passing over the weighing platform. Advantageously, these points of time are determined as the part time interval during the rise of the weighing signal towards the peak level during which the integrated part result is half a later occuring peak value, especially the later occurring integrated peak value part result, or alternatively the mean value of a number of part results around the peak value part result as well as the part time interval during the fall of the weighing signal towards the basic level during which the integrated part result again is half the peak value men¬ tioned above. Naturally, this requires that the integrated part results be stored at least until the two points of time have been established. To optimise the signal course, it may be advanta¬ geous, before and after passage of the object over the weighing platform, to stabilise the movement of the object in vibration-dampening fashion by letting it pass over separate stabilising platforms on a level with and adjac¬ ent to the weighing platform. An embodiment of the invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying draw- ings. Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a schematic side view showing a vehicle wheel halfway onto a weighing platform forming part of a weighing unit disposed in a roadway, Fig.2 is a schematic side view showing the vehicle wheel having entered in its entirety the weighing plat¬ form, Fig. 3 is a schematic side view showing the vehicle wheel halfway out of the weighing platform, Fig. 4 is a schematic graph illustrating the ideal course of the weighing signal for the passage of the vehicle wheel over the weighing platform, Fig. 5 is an enlarged schematic graph illustrating a typical course of the weighing signal including distur- bances, and further illustrating the integration of the part time intervals according to the invention, Fig. 6 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an example of a circuit for displaying a load measurement value on the basis of a sensor signal, and Fig. 7 is a schematic side view similar to Fig. 2 and illustrating a modified arrangement of the weighing unit. Description of an Embodiment Figs 1-3 schematically illustrate a vehicle wheel 1 with an axle 3 passing over a weighing unit disposed in a roadway 5 and including a weighing platform 7. The weigh¬ ing platform 7, which is supported by sensor means 9, is arranged horizontally on a level with and adjacent to the roadway, so that the wheel 1 can roll onto the upper sur¬ face of the platform 7 as smoothly as possible. The pres- sure surface 11 of the wheel against the roadway and the weighing platform is smaller than the extent of the weigh¬ ing platform 7 in the direction of travel, indicated by an arrow 13. In the embodiment shown, the extent of the weighing platform is but slightly larger than the maximum expected length of the pressure surface. Fig. 7 illustrates an alternative arrangement of the weighing equipment disposed in the roadway 5. Stabilising platforms 21 and 23, also mounted in the roadway 5, are provided before and after, respectively, the weighing unit. The weighing platform 7 is horizontally arranged with its upper surface on a level with the upper surfaces of the stabilising platforms 21, 23 and the roadway 5. The adjacency of the weighing platform to the stabilising platforms enables the wheel to roll onto and out from the weighing platform as smoothly as possible. The stabilising platforms 21, 23 are designed to dampen vibrations, for which reason their length in the direction of travel is not a multiple of the length of the weighing platform 7. Typically, the stabilising platforms have a length which is about 1.5 or about 2.5 times the length of the weighing platform. The weighing unit 7, 9 as well as the stabilising platforms 21, 23 might be arranged on a special base structure embedded in the roadway and having a certain flexibility, e.g. by being made of wood, thereby further reducing the risk of undesirable vibrations. Fig. 4 schematically illustrates a weighing signal S that may be expected from the sensor means 9 under favour¬ able conditions, the signal course shown being related to Figs 1-3. In Fig. 1, the wheel 1 is halfway onto the weighing platform 7, i.e. its axle 3 is situated substantially above the left edge of the platform. At this stage, the weighing signal may be expected to have risen to half its peak value, the weighing platform supporting half the load. In Fig. 2, the entire wheel has entered in its en¬ tirety the platform 7 and is supported thereby in centred manner. At this stage, the weighing signal is at its peak value, representing the total load. In Fig. 3, the wheel is halfway out of the platform, and the signal may thus be expected to have fallen to half the peak value. The analog weighing signal derived from the sensor means 9 is converted in an analog-frequency converter (AFC) to a pulse signal whose frequency is proportional to the amplitude of the signal from the sensor means, i.e. to the sensed load. The pulse weighing signal will exhibit different dis- turbances in the form of irregularities like sudden leaps taking on the nature of spikes. A leap in one direction is, as a rule, succeeded by a leap in the opposite direc¬ tion. Although the leap amplitude may be very large, the alterations in the area under the signal curve are compa- ratively insignificant. According to the invention, this fact is used for minimising the effect of the distur¬ bances. To this end, use is made of an integration pro¬ cedure. As soon as the weighing signal has passed a chosen trigger level, at the point of time t 1 , an integration procedure is begun during successive part time intervals n. , n 2 ... of predetermined duration, e.g. 4.5 ms. The integration result for each part time interval constitutes a part result d., d 2 , etc. corresponding to the area under the signal for the part time interval at issue. It will be appreciated that signal disturbances, such as during the part time interval n_, will be substantially filtered out by the integration procedure. The result of each part integration, i.e. the part result, is temporarily stored in a memory. The part inte¬ gration continues until the weighing signal has fallen to the trigger level, which, in the Example shown, happens after 28 part integrations. All the desired calculations can now be performed on the basis of the temporarily stored part results by means of a microcomputer-controlled circuit whose general struc¬ ture is illustrated in Fig. 6. As appears from Fig. 6, the sensor means 9 feeds an analog-frequency converter 21 whose output signal is sense by a trigger circuit 23. When the output signal rises abov a chosen level, the trigger circuit lets through the outpu signal to a counter 25. The latter counts the number of pulses during each part time interval, and the part result are stored in a memory 27. These operations are controlled by a microcomputer 29 which is connected to the blocks 23, 25 and 27 and which in addition feeds a display 31. The microcomputer 29 is programmed to perform the following functions: 1. Counting the number of part time intervals during which integration has taken place, in this Example 28 • intervals. This number is the measurement time factor M. 2. Determining the mean value of a fixed number (e.g. four) of stored part results around the middle part time interval (at t . In the Example, the mean value is deter¬ mined on the basis of the part results d 13 , 14 , d 15 and d. fi . The mean value is the peak value on which the load measurement value and the form-factor calculation are to be based. 3. Determining the sum of the stored part results to form a summation result. 4. Establishing the product of the peak value and the number of counted part time intervals. 5. Calculating the form factor F as the ratio of the summation result to the above product. 6. Determining the part time interval when the part result has risen to half the calculated peak value, in this case n„ at t~. 7. Determining the part time interval when the part result has fallen to half the calculated peak value, in this case 2Q at t.. 8. Determining the number of part time intervals bet- ween t 2 and t., in this case twelve, and calculating the velocity V of the wheel 1 on the basis of this information and the stored information on the length of the weighing platform in the direction of travel. 9. Choosing the value of the factor k on the basis o programmed rules while taking into consideration the fixe signal peak mean value and the calculated velocity. 10. Calculating the quality factor Q = F » M » k.. 11. Indicating a load measurement value on the displ 31 in the form of the fixed peak mean value with a resolu tion determined by the quality factor Q in accordance wit programmed rules. If desired, the load measurement value displayed may easily be recorded on a recording medium (not shown). Since the number of part results to be stored is -com¬ paratively small and the required calculations are fairly simple, no advanced computer equipment is needed. In addi¬ tion, the entire signal processing up to the display of the load measurement value takes but a short time, and th equipment is thus soon ready to perform a new measuring operation. Of course, this is of importance when control- ling rapid and heavy traffic.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A method of determining a load measurement value in dynamic weighing, wherein an object to be weighed passes, while in motion, over a weighing platform sup¬ ported by load-sensing means which then generate a load- dependent weighing signal which rises from a basic level to a peak level to subsequently fall to the basic level, which corresponds to the object moving onto ti weighing platform, being situated in its entirety on ti weighing platform, and moving out from the weighing platform, said method comprising the step of determining an at least * " approximative signal peak value as representing the weigh- ed load, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by integrating the weighing signal, at least during a time interval about the point where the signal peak value is determined, in order to produce a summation result, said time interval being recorded as a measurement time factor (M), calculating a form factor (F) for the weighing signal in the form of the ratio of the summation result, i.e. the integrated area under the weighing signal for said time interval, to a corresponding rectangular area that would be obtained in static weighing, i.e. the product of a peak value and said time interval, and determining the load measurement value as said at least approximative signal peak value with a resolution depending on a quality factor Q = F • M • k, wherein k is a factor chosen while taking into consideration the weigh¬ ing conditions. 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d by choosing k while taking into considera¬ tion the measured peak level. 3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, c h a r ¬ a c t e r i s e d by integrating the weighing signal during a number of successive part time intervals, the measurement time factor (M) being preferably determined as the number of part time intervals during which inte¬ gration has taken place. 4. A method as claimed in claim 3, c h a r a c - t e r i s e d by integrating, when the weighing signal comprises a large number of part time intervals that exceeds a predetermined value, the weighing signal only during a certain fixed number of successive part time intervals occurring around the peak value of the weighing signal. 5. A method as claimed in claim 3 or 4, c h a r ¬ a c t e r i s e d by determining, with a view to calcu¬ lating the form factor, a peak value in the form of a "part result obtained in the integration during a part time interval, or alternatively determining a peak value being the mean value of a number of part results around the highest part result obtained. 6. A method as claimed in claim 5, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d by using the peak value determined for the form-factor calculation as said at least approximative signal peak value. 7. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by determining the point of time when the pressure surface of the object against the weighing platform is halfway onto the plat¬ form, as well as the point of time when the pressure sur¬ face of the object is halfway out of the weighing plat¬ form; calculating the time elapsing between said two points of time; and determining, on the basis of the cal- culated time and the length of the weighing platform in the direction of travel, the velocity (V) of the object when passing over the weighing platform. 8. A method as claimed in claim 7, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d by determining said points of time in the form of the part time interval during the rise of the weighing signal towards the peak level during which the integrated part result is half a later occurring peak value, especially the later integrated peak value part result, or alternatively the mean value of a number of part results around the peak value part result as well as the part time interval during the fall of the weighing signal towards the basic level during which the integrated part result again is half said peak value. 9. A method as claimed in claim 8, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d by storing the integrated part results at least until said two points of time have been determined. 10. A method as claimed in any one of claims 7-9, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by choosing k while taking into consideration also the calculated velocity (V). 11. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by generating a weigh- ing signal having a pulse frequency that is proportional to the weighed load. 12. A method as claimed in claim 11, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d by integrating the weighing signal by counting its pulses.

Inventors: HOLM LAURI, HOLM, LAURI
Applicants: LUNDMAN ULF PAD LASTCELLER AB, PAD LASTCELLER ULF LUNDMAN AB
Application year: 1992
Main classification: G01G19
IPC codes: G01G11, G01G19