Patent ID: 7200514

Claim:
Method for detecting straight-ahead driving according to a first straight-ahead driving detection method on the basis of vehicle-installed wheel speed information, comprising: initiating a curve parameter learning phase for a given set of wheels during on-road operation of the wheels including: measuring the wheel speed of each wheel of the set of wheels at a first speed within a first given wheel speed interval and calculating a first stored curve parameter based on a reciprocal value of the curve radius of each wheel from the respective wheel speed measured at the first speed; and measuring the wheel speed of each wheel of the set of wheels at a second speed within a second given wheel speed interval and calculating a second stored curve parameter based on a reciprocal value of the curve radius of each wheel from the respective wheel speed measured at the second speed; storing the first stored curve parameter and the second stored curve parameter in a long term memory; monitoring the current wheel speed of each wheel of the set of wheels during said on-road operation of the wheels and calculating a respective current curve parameter based on a reciprocal value of the curve radius of each wheel from the respective current wheel speed; and comparing the respective current curve parameter of each wheel to the appropriate stored curve parameter of each wheel to determine if the wheels are in a straight-ahead driving condition, wherein the determination if the wheels are in a straight-ahead driving condition is taken into consideration for activating a pressure loss detection method.