Tire plus-sizing software program

• US 20040111276A1
• Filed: 12/05/2002
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian Inge
• Original Assignee: Brian Inge
• Inventors: Inge, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 6,917,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 152/10819 Characterized by the structure of the bead portion of the tire

Abstract

A tire plus-sizing software program for receiving data input and displaying data output for six different screens that can be used to correctly determine and convert tire and wheel information to correctly select proper tires and wheels for plus-sizing personal vehicles. The program provides information regarding the types of tires that can be used to “plus-size” tires for a given vehicle, i.e., to increase the wheel diameter without changing the tire diameter. The resulting vehicle with the “plus-sized” tires has improved vehicle performance, handling and appearance when compared with the original equipment wheels and tires.

Claims

1. A tire plus-sizing computer program product comprising a medium readable by a processor, the medium having stored thereon:

(a) a first sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to display a screen having input boxes for receiving data input by a user identifying an original equipment tire size and identifying a desired wheel size;

(b) a second sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to access a database record for the original equipment tire size and to display a tread width, sidewall height, and overall height stored in the record;

(c) a third sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to retrieve a plurality of database records for tire sizes having a wheel size equal to the desired wheel size, an overall height within a range of 3% less than the original equipment tire size overall height to 30 greater than the original equipment tire size overall height, and a tread width within a range of 15% less than the original equipment tread width to 15% greater than the original equipment tire size tread width;

(d) a fourth sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to sort the records retrieved in the third sequence in order of decreasing overall height; and

(e) a fifth sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to select and display up to three tire sizes from the sorted records having an overall height closest to the overall height of the original equipment tire size.

2. The tire plus-sizing computer program product according to claim 1, wherein said medium further has stored thereon:

(a) a sixth sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to display a screen having input boxes for receiving data input by a user identifying a vehicle by make model and year; and

(b) a seventh sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to access a database record for the vehicle and to display specifications for the vehicle, including original equipment tire size, lug bolt pattern, lug thread size, wheel offset, and hub bore size.

3. The tire plus-sizing computer program product according to claim 1, wherein said medium further has stored thereon:

(a) an eighth sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to display a screen having input boxes for receiving data input by a user identifying a desired tire size by metric; and

(b) a ninth sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to access a database record for the tire size and to display tread width in inches, sidewall height in inches, and overall height in inches.

4. The tire plus-sizing computer program product according to claim 1, wherein said medium further has stored thereon:

(a) a tenth sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to display a screen having input boxes for receiving data input by a user identifying both the original equipment tire size and a desired plus-size tire size; and

(b) an eleventh sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to access database records for the original equipment and plus-size tire size and to display a comparison of tread width in inches, sidewall height in inches, and overall height in inches, and to calculate and display a differential in the tread width, sidewall height and overall height.

5. The tire plus-sizing computer program product according to claim 1, wherein said medium further has stored thereon:

(a) a twelfth sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to display a screen having input boxes for receiving data input by a user identifying a wheel size; and

(b) an thirteenth sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to access a plurality of database records for tire sizes and to display a list of the records having the wheel size input by the user

6. A computerized method for determining a plus-size tire for a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a database having a plurality of records of tire sizes stored thereon;

(b) displaying a screen having input boxes for receiving data input by a user identifying an original equipment tire size and identifying a desired wheel size;

(c) accessing the database and retrieving a record for the original equipment tire size;

(d) displaying a tread width, sidewall height, and overall height stored in the record retrieved in step (c);

(e) retrieving a plurality of the records for tire sizes having a wheel size equal to the desired wheel size, an overall height within a range of 3% less than the original equipment tire size overall height to 3% greater than the original equipment tire size overall height, and a tread width within a range of 15% less than the original equipment tread width to 15% greater than the original equipment tire size tread width;

(f) sorting the records retrieved in step (e) in order of decreasing overall height; and

(g) selecting and displaying up to three tire sizes from the sorted records having an overall height closest to the overall height of the original equipment tire size.

7. The computerized method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of records in the database for vehicles, each record having an original equipment tire size for a different one of the vehicles;

displaying a screen having input boxes for receiving data input by a user identifying a vehicle by make model and year; and

accessing a record in the database for the vehicle and to display specifications for the vehicle, including original equipment tire size, lug bolt pattern, lug thread size, wheel offset, and hub bore size.

8. The computerized method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

displaying a screen having input boxes for receiving data input by a user identifying a desired tire size by metric; and

accessing a record in the database for the tire size input by the user and displaying tread width in inches, sidewall height in inches, and overall height in inches from the record.

9. The computerized method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

displaying a screen having input boxes for receiving data input by a user identifying both the original equipment tire size and a desired plus-size tire size; and

accessing records in the database for the original equipment and plus-size tire size and displaying a comparison of tread width in inches, sidewall height in inches, and overall height in inches from the records; and

calculating and displaying a differential in the tread width, sidewall height and overall height.

10. The computerized method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

displaying a screen having input boxes for receiving data input by a user identifying a wheel size; and

accessing a plurality of records in the database for tire sizes and displaying a list of the records having the wheel size input by the user.

11. A system for selecting plus-size tires, comprising:

(a) at least one server computer having a processor, an area of main memory for executing program code under the direction of the processor, a storage device for storing data and program code, and a bus connecting the processor main memory and the storage device;

(b) at least one relational database accessible by said server computer, the database having stored therein a plurality of records for tire sizes;

(c) a data communications device connected to said bus for connecting said server computer to a network; and

(d) a web-based tire plus-sizing computer program code stored in said storage device and executing in said main memory under the direction of said processor, the computer program including;

(i) web server software means for publishing at least one web site on the network;

(ii) means for receiving at the web site data input by a user identifying an original equipment tire size and identifying a desired wheel size;

(iii) means for accessing the database and retrieving a record for the original equipment tire size;

(iv) means for publishing a web page displaying a tread width, sidewall height, and overall height stored in the record for the original equipment tire size;

(v) retrieving means for retrieving a plurality of the records for tire sizes having a wheel size equal to the desired wheel size, an overall height within a range of 3% less than the original equipment tire size overall height to 36 greater than the original equipment tire size overall height, and a tread width within a range of 15% less than the original equipment tread width to 15% greater than the original equipment tire size tread width;

(vi) means for sorting the records retrieved by said retrieving means in order of decreasing overall height; and

(vii) means for selecting up to three tire sizes from the sorted records having an overall height closest to the overall height of the original equipment tire size and for publishing a web page displaying the up to three tire sizes.

12. The system for selecting plus-size tires according to claim 11, wherein said database further comprises a plurality of records stored in said database for vehicles, each record having an original equipment tire size for a different one of the vehicles, the computer program further comprising:

means for receiving at the web site data input by a user identifying a vehicle by make, model and year; and

means for accessing a record in the database for the vehicle and for publishing a web page displaying specifications for the vehicle, including original equipment tire size, lug bolt pattern, lug thread size, wheel offset, and hub bore size.

13. The system for selecting plus-size tires according to claim 11, wherein the computer program further comprises:

means for receiving at the web site data input by a user identifying a desired tire size by metric;

means for accessing a record in the database for the tire size input by the user; and

means for publishing a web page displaying tread width in inches, sidewall height in inches, and overall height in inches from the record for the tire size input by the user.

14. The system for selecting plus-size tires according to claim 11, wherein the computer program further comprises:

means for receiving at the web site data input by a user identifying both the original equipment tire size and a desired plus-size tire size;

means for accessing records in the database for the original equipment and plus-size tire size and publishing a web page displaying a comparison of tread width in inches, sidewall height in inches, and overall height in inches; and

means for calculating and publishing a web page displaying a differential in the tread width, sidewall height and overall height.

15. The system for selecting plus-size tires according to claim 11, wherein the computer program further comprises:

means for receiving at the web site data input by a user identifying a wheel size; and

means for accessing a plurality of the records in the database for tire sizes and for publishing a web page displaying a list of the records having the wheel size input by the user.

16. The system for selecting plus-size tires according to claim 11, wherein said data communications device is connected to the Internet.

17. The system for selecting plus-size tires according to claim 11, wherein said data communications device is connected to an intranet.

18. The system for selecting plus-size tires according to claim 11, wherein said data communications device is connected to an extranet.