Wear amount detection device for automobile tires
First Claim
1. A wear amount detection device for a tire of an automobile, the wear amount detection device detecting a wear amount of the tire, the wear amount detection device comprising:
- a rotation sensor configured to detect a rotation signal of a wheel so as to measure a speed of the automobile;
a signal processing unit configured to extract rotation speed fluctuations synchronized with the rotation, from the rotation signal detected by the rotation sensor, and to obtain, from the extracted rotation speed fluctuations, rotation speed fluctuation patterns over a plurality of rotations, each of the rotation speed fluctuation patterns including a rotation speed fluctuation synchronized with the corresponding rotation; and
a wear state determination unit configured to determine, in the obtained rotation speed fluctuation patterns, a component value induced by a characteristic embodied in the tire, the component value varying in accordance with a wear state of the tire, to estimate a wear state of the tire on the basis of the determined component value, and to output wear information,wherein the wear state determination unit includes a relationship set portion configured to set a relationship between progressive states of wear of the tire and component values induced by the characteristic embodied in the tire, the value varying in accordance with a wear state of the tire, andthe characteristic includes at least one of the following characteristics (b), (c), (e), (h) and (i);
(b) a characteristic in a form in which an area or a pattern thereof changes as wear progresses;
(c) a characteristic that induces rotation speed fluctuations patterns which are different from each other depending on a wear amount;
(e) a characteristic including at least one characteristic structure formed by a tread pattern of the tire in a direction traversing a tread, the feature structure varying with wear;
(h) a characteristic configured such that the rotation speed fluctuation pattern changes to have a special fluctuation as wear progresses; and
(i) a characteristic including at least one characteristic portion, the characteristic including a groove formed in the tread of the tire in an initial state, the groove having a depth which decreases as wear progresses.
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Abstract
A wear amount detection device to detect that a tire is in a worn state, during running, without a special sensor. The device includes a rotation sensor detecting rotation of a wheel to measure a speed of an automobile; a signal processing extracting rotation speed fluctuations synchronized with rotation, from a rotation signal detected by the rotation sensor, and obtain a rotation speed fluctuation pattern synchronized with rotation, from rotation speed fluctuations over a plurality of rotations; and a wear state determination configured to obtain, from the obtained pattern, a value of a component induced by a characteristic embodied in a tire of the wheel, the value varying in accordance with a wear state of the tire, to estimate a wear state of the tire, and to output the state.
30 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A wear amount detection device for a tire of an automobile, the wear amount detection device detecting a wear amount of the tire, the wear amount detection device comprising:
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a rotation sensor configured to detect a rotation signal of a wheel so as to measure a speed of the automobile; a signal processing unit configured to extract rotation speed fluctuations synchronized with the rotation, from the rotation signal detected by the rotation sensor, and to obtain, from the extracted rotation speed fluctuations, rotation speed fluctuation patterns over a plurality of rotations, each of the rotation speed fluctuation patterns including a rotation speed fluctuation synchronized with the corresponding rotation; and a wear state determination unit configured to determine, in the obtained rotation speed fluctuation patterns, a component value induced by a characteristic embodied in the tire, the component value varying in accordance with a wear state of the tire, to estimate a wear state of the tire on the basis of the determined component value, and to output wear information, wherein the wear state determination unit includes a relationship set portion configured to set a relationship between progressive states of wear of the tire and component values induced by the characteristic embodied in the tire, the value varying in accordance with a wear state of the tire, and the characteristic includes at least one of the following characteristics (b), (c), (e), (h) and (i); (b) a characteristic in a form in which an area or a pattern thereof changes as wear progresses; (c) a characteristic that induces rotation speed fluctuations patterns which are different from each other depending on a wear amount; (e) a characteristic including at least one characteristic structure formed by a tread pattern of the tire in a direction traversing a tread, the feature structure varying with wear; (h) a characteristic configured such that the rotation speed fluctuation pattern changes to have a special fluctuation as wear progresses; and (i) a characteristic including at least one characteristic portion, the characteristic including a groove formed in the tread of the tire in an initial state, the groove having a depth which decreases as wear progresses. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification