Tire pressure optimization system

• US 10,144,253 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2016
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mays, Wesley M., Fortuna, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Kyoung
• Application Number:
  US15/011,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20170217261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/001 Devices for manually or automatically controlling or distributing tyre pressure whilst the vehicle is moving
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/002 by monitoring conditions other than tyre pressure or deformation
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0401 characterised by the type of alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/041 Means for supplying power to the signal- transmitting means on the wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0479 Communicating with external units being not part of the vehicle, e.g. tools for diagnostic, mobile phones, electronic keys or service stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0486 comprising additional sensors in the wheel or tyre mounted monitoring device, e.g. movement sensors, microphones or earth magnetic field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 17/005 using a sensor contacting the exterior surface, e.g. for measuring deformation
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure are generally related to one or more systems, methods, and devices for providing an integrated tire inflation system, mounted on each tire, wheel, rim, axle, or structure of the vehicle, that communicates with a remote device (e.g., communication device located in the cab of the vehicle and/or a remote network entity) and obtains an optimal tire pressure from the network entity that is calculated to maximize fuel economy, tread life, load, or an environmental condition. In some examples, the integrated telematics system may periodically measure and transmit data associated with the tire to the communication device in the cab and/or to a network entity that may calculate the optimal tire pressure for each tire on the vehicle. The integrated telematics system may receive the optimal tire pressure information from the communication device and/or the network entity and automatically adjust the tire pressure accordingly.

Claims

1. A method for pressurizing a tire associated with a vehicle, comprising:

measuring, at a tire inflation device, tire-specific data, wherein the tire-specific data includes at least one of a tire pressure, tire temperature, tire tread depth, rate of change of air volume, or a rate of movement of the tire;

measuring, at the tire inflation device, at least one environment condition associated with the tire, wherein the at least one environment condition includes external air temperature;

transmitting, by a transceiver, the tire-specific data and the at least one environment condition associated with the tire from the tire inflation device to a network entity;

receiving, by the transceiver from the network entity in response to the tire-specific data and the at least one environment condition associated with the tire, an optimal tire pressure information calculated to maximize fuel economy of the vehicle and tread life of the tire; and

adjusting, by the tire inflation device in response to receiving the optimal tire pressure information, the tire pressure of the tire based on the optimal tire pressure information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the optimal tire pressure is calculated by assigning different weights to each of one or more of tread life, traction, driver comfort, noise, fuel economy, blowout prevention, or an environment condition factor.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, in a memory of the tire inflation device, at least one of a tire serial number, tire position on the vehicle, tire size, or date of manufacture of the tire.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the tire inflation device is powered by an energy generator that produces mechanical energy based on a relative motion within the tire inflation device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the tire inflation device includes a transceiver that is powered by an electromagnetic energy generator that produces electrical energy based on a relative motion within the tire inflation device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring a rate of air flow that the automatic tire inflation system is inserting into the tire during a predetermined time period; and

determining whether there is a structural flaw with the tire based on the rate of air flow.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

issuing an alert to a user that indicates that there is structural flaw with the tire when the rate of air flow exceeds a threshold during the predetermined time period.

8. An apparatus for pressurizing a tire associated with a vehicle, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising instructions executable by the processor to;

measure, at a tire inflation device, tire-specific data, wherein the tire-specific data includes at least one of a tire pressure, tire temperature, tire tread depth, rate of change of air volume, or a rate of movement of the tire;

measure, at the tire inflation device, at least one environment condition associated with the tire, wherein the at least one environment condition includes external air temperature;

transmit, by a transceiver, the tire-specific data and the at least one environment condition associated with the tire from the tire inflation device to a network entity;

receive, by the transceiver from the network entity in response to the tire-specific data and the at least one environment condition associated with the tire, an optimal tire pressure information calculated to maximize fuel economy of the vehicle and tread life of the tire; and

adjust, by the tire inflation device in response to receiving the optimal tire pressure information, the tire pressure of the tire based on the optimal tire pressure information.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the optimal tire pressure is calculated by assigning different weights to each of one or more of tread life, traction, driver comfort, noise, fuel economy, blowout prevention, or an environment condition factor.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

store, in the memory of the tire inflation device, at least one of a tire serial number, tire position on the vehicle, tire size, or date of manufacture of the tire.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the tire inflation device is powered by an energy generator that produces mechanical energy based on a relative motion within the tire inflation device.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus further includes a transceiver that is powered by an electromagnetic energy generator that produces electrical energy based on a relative motion within the tire inflation device.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

measure a rate of air flow that the automatic tire inflation system is inserting into the tire during a predetermined time period; and

determine whether there is a structural flaw with the tire based on the rate of air flow.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

issue an alert to a user that indicates that there is structural flaw with the tire when the rate of air flow exceeds a threshold during the predetermined time period.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for pressurizing a tire associated with a vehicle, the computer-readable medium comprising instructions executed to:

measure, at a tire inflation device, tire-specific data, wherein the tire-specific data includes at least one of a tire pressure, tire temperature, tire tread depth, rate of change of air volume, or a rate of movement of the tire;

measure, at the tire inflation device, at least one environment condition associated with the tire, wherein the at least one environment condition includes external air temperature;

transmit, by a transceiver, the tire-specific data and the at least one environment condition associated with the tire from the tire inflation device to a network entity;

receive, by the transceiver from the network entity in response to the tire-specific data and the at least one environment condition associated with the tire, an optimal tire pressure information calculated to maximize fuel economy of the vehicle and tread life of the tire; and

adjust, by the tire inflation device in response to receiving the optimal tire pressure information, the tire pressure of the tire based on the optimal tire pressure information.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the optimal tire pressure is calculated by assigning different weights to each of one or more of tread life, traction, driver comfort, noise, fuel economy, blowout prevention, or an environment condition factor.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions are further executable to:

store, in the memory of the tire inflation device, at least one of a tire serial number, tire position on the vehicle, tire size, or date of manufacture of the tire.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the tire inflation device is powered by an energy generator that produces mechanical energy based on a relative motion within the tire inflation device.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the apparatus further includes a transceiver that is powered by an electromagnetic energy generator that produces electrical energy based on a relative motion within the tire inflation device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions are further executable to:

measure a rate of air flow that the automatic tire inflation system is inserting into the tire during a predetermined time period; and

determine whether there is a structural flaw with the tire based on the rate of air flow.