Tire condition telematics system

• US 10,424,129 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2017
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dana Heavy Vehicle Systems Group LLC (Dana, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dana Heavy Vehicle Systems Group LLC (Dana, Inc.)
• Inventors: Laskey, Ryan W., Turner, Douglas D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Application Number:
  US15/471,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20170278314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/24 Wear-indicating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/243 Tread wear sensors, e.g. electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 11/246 Tread wear monitoring systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• 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 23/0484 Detecting an ongoing tyre inflation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A tire condition telematics system. The system includes a vehicle having an onboard computer and one or more wheel assemblies with one or more tires with a tire tread. A prediction as to when said tire tread will fall below a minimum tread depth in performed. The prediction is based on an amount of distance said wheel assemblies experience said wheel slip condition, a distance said wheel assemblies drive over said one or more road materials, a distance said wheel assemblies drive in rain and snow, a distance one or more loads are on said vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of predicting a tire condition, comprising:

providing a vehicle having one or more wheel assemblies, wherein said one or more wheel assemblies have one or more tires each with a tire tread;

providing an onboard computer having one or more data processors, wherein said one or more processors are operably configured to receive and analyze data from one or more sensors;

inputting an initial pre-determined tread depth of said tire tread of one or more of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies into said onboard computer;

determining an amount of distance traveled by said vehicle while said one or more wheel assemblies experience a wheel slip condition using a tire traction system;

determining an amount of distance traveled by said vehicle while said one or more wheel assemblies drive over one or more road materials of one or more roads using a lane tracking system, a Global Positioning System and/or a map system;

determining an amount of distance traveled by said vehicle while said one or more wheel assemblies drive over one or more road grades using said Global Positioning System and/or said map system;

determining an amount of distance traveled by said vehicle while said one or more wheel assemblies drive in rain;

determining an amount of distance traveled by said vehicle while said one or more wheel assemblies drive in snow, wherein said amount of distance traveled in said snow and/or rain is determined using one or more wiper system sensors;

determining an amount of distance traveled by said vehicle while one or more loads are on said vehicle using one or more pressure sensors; and

predicting when a tread depth of said tire tread of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies will fall below a minimum tread depth using said on board computer of said vehicle, wherein said prediction is determined by said initial pre-determined tread depth inputted, said amount of distance determined said one or more wheel assemblies have experienced said wheel slip condition, said amount of distance determined said one or more wheel assemblies have driven over said one or more road materials, said amount of distance determined said one or more wheel assemblies have driven in said rain, said amount of distance determined said one or more wheel assemblies have driven in said snow, said amount of distance determined said one or more loads are on said vehicle, said amount of distance determined said one or more wheel assemblies have driven over one or more road grades.

2. The method of predicting a tire condition of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing a vehicle telematics unit;

transmitting said prediction for when said tread depth of said tire tread of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies will fall below said minimum tread depth to a cloud-based server, wherein said transmission occurs when one or more of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies is within a pre-determined amount of distance from when one or more of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies has been predicted to fall below said minimum tread depth with said telematics unit of said vehicle;

receiving said prediction for when said tread depth of said tire tread of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies will fall below said minimum tread depth by said cloud-based server;

transmitting a request for a quote to, at least one of repair or replace, one or more of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies from said cloud-based server to one or more tire service providers within a pre-determined radius from a geographic location of said vehicle;

receiving said request for said quote from said cloud-based server by said one or more tire service providers;

transmitting said quote from said one or more tire service providers to said cloud-based server; and

transmitting said quote from said cloud-based server to one or more vehicle owners and/or vehicle operators.

3. The method of predicting and communicating a tire condition of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining an ambient temperature said vehicle is traveling in; and

using said ambient temperature said vehicle is traveling in said prediction for when said tread depth of said tire tread of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies will fall below a minimum tread depth.

4. The method of predicting a tire condition of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

measuring an internal pressure of one or more of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies of said vehicle;

determining an amount of distance one or more of said one or more tires have been driven with an internal pressure below a pre-determined optimal operating pressure; and

using said amount of distance traveled by said vehicle while one or more of said one or more tires has had an internal pressure below said pre-determined optimal operating pressure in said prediction for when said tread depth of said tire tread of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies will fall below a minimum tread depth.

5. The method of predicting a tire condition of claim 4, wherein said internal pressure of said one or more tires is measured by using one or more pressure sensors.

6. The method of predicting a tire condition of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining an amount of braking force applied by one or more braking systems to said one or more wheel assemblies using one or more brake force sensors;

using said amount of braking force applied by said one or more braking systems to said one or more wheel assemblies determined in said prediction for when said tread depth of said tire tread of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies will fall below a minimum tread depth.

7. The method of predicting a tire condition of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining a speed of said vehicle when said braking force is applied to said one or more wheel assemblies by said one or more braking systems using one or more speed sensors;

using said speed of said vehicle determined when said braking force is applied to said one or more wheel assemblies by said one or more braking systems in said prediction for when said tread depth of said tire tread of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies will fall below a minimum tread depth.

8. The method of predicting a tire condition of claim 1, wherein said initial pre-determined tread depth inputted into said onboard computer is determined by measuring said tread depth of said one or more wheel assemblies by using a laser sensor, manufacture tire tread depth specification data, and/or a hand gauge.

9. A method of predicting a tire condition, comprising:

providing a vehicle having a telematics unit and one or more wheel assemblies, wherein said one or more wheel assemblies of said vehicle each having one or more tires with a tire tread;

inputting an initial pre-determined tread depth of said tire tread of one or more of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies into an onboard computer of said vehicle;

determining an amount of distance traveled by said vehicle while said one or more wheel assemblies experience a wheel slip condition using a tire traction system;

determining an amount of distance traveled by said vehicle while said one or more wheel assemblies drive over one or more road materials of one or more roads using a lane tracking system, a Global Positioning System and/or a map system;

determining an amount of distance traveled by said vehicle while said one or more wheel assemblies drive over one or more road grades using said Global Positioning System and/or said map system;

determining an amount of distance traveled by said vehicle while said one or more wheel assemblies drive in rain;

determining an amount of distance traveled by said vehicle while said one or more wheel assemblies drive in snow, wherein said amount of distance traveled in said snow and/or rain is determined using one or more wiper system sensors;

determining an amount of distance traveled by said vehicle while one or more loads are on said vehicle using one or more pressure sensors;

transmitting said initial pre-determined tread depth determined, said amount of distance determined said one or more wheel assemblies experienced said wheel slip condition, said amount of distance said one or more wheel assemblies have driven over said one or more road materials, said amount of distance determined said one or more wheel assemblies have driven over said one or more road grades, said amount of distance determined said one or more wheel assemblies have driven in said rain, said amount of distance determined said one or more wheel assemblies have driven in said snow, said amount of distance determined said one or more loads are on said vehicle, and said amount of distance determined said one or more loads are on said vehicle to a cloud-based server for analysis with said telematics unit of said vehicle; and

predicting when a tread depth of said tire tread of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies will fall below a minimum tread depth, wherein said prediction is performed by said cloud-based server, wherein said prediction is determined by, said initial pre-determined tread depth inputted, said amount of distance determined said one or more wheel assemblies experienced said wheel slip condition, said amount of distance determined said one or more wheel assemblies have driven over said one or more road materials, said amount of distance determined said one or more wheel assemblies have driven in said rain, said amount of distance determined said one or more wheel assemblies have driven in said snow, said amount of distance determined said one or more loads are on said vehicle, and said amount of distance determined said one or more wheel assemblies have driven over one or more road grades.

10. The method of predicting a tire condition of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting a request for a quote to, at least one of repair or replace, one or more of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies from said cloud-based server to one or more tire service providers within a pre-determined radius from a geographic location of said vehicle;

receiving said request for said quote from said cloud-based server by said one or more tire service providers;

transmitting said quote from said one or more tire service providers to said cloud-based server; and

transmitting said quote from said cloud-based server to one or more vehicle owners and/or vehicle operators.

11. The method of predicting a tire condition of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

determining an amount of braking force applied by one or more braking systems to said one or more wheel assemblies using one or more brake force sensors;

transmitting said amount of braking force applied by said one or more braking systems to said one or more wheel assemblies determined to said cloud-based server for analysis with said telematics unit of said vehicle; and

using said amount of braking force applied by said one or more braking systems to said one or more wheel assemblies determined in said prediction for when said tread depth of said tire tread of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies will fall below a minimum tread depth.

12. The method of predicting a tire condition of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

determining a speed of said vehicle when said braking force is applied to said one or more wheel assemblies by said one or more braking systems using one or more speed sensors;

transmitting said speed of said vehicle determined when said braking force is applied to said one or more wheel assemblies by said one or more braking systems to said cloud-based server for analysis with said telematics unit of said vehicle; and

using said speed of said vehicle determined when said braking force is applied to said one or more wheel assemblies by said one or more braking systems in said prediction for when said tread depth of said tire tread of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies will fall below a minimum tread depth.

13. The method of predicting a tire condition of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

determining an ambient temperature said vehicle is traveling in;

transmitting said ambient temperature determined to said cloud-based server for analysis with said telematics unit of said vehicle; and

using said ambient temperature determined in said prediction for when said tread depth of said tire tread of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies will fall below a minimum tread depth.

14. The method of predicting a tire condition of claim 9, wherein said initial pre-determined tread depth inputted into said onboard computer is determined by measuring said tread depth of said one or more wheel assemblies by using a laser sensor, manufacture tire tread depth specification data, and/or a hand gauge.