Method for predicting tire life-cycle cost

• US 20060149688A1
• Filed: 01/05/2005
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Inventors: James, Greg, Hollinger, Len, Walenga, Guy J., Laubie, Dave
• Granted Patent: US 7,640,216 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments provide a technique for determining life cycle cost of a tire that includes combining initial purchase information and an assessment of operating costs for a customer. Determination of operating costs includes correlating roll resistance with respect to inflation pressure and vehicle imposed load of the tire, as well as usage of the tire. The inflation pressure and vehicle imposed load are acquired for a configuration of the vehicle. The roll resistance can be determined for the pressure and load of the tire at a characteristic tread depth. The fuel consumption required for overcoming the roll resistance by the vehicle can be determined from the roll resistance and a unit cost of the fuel consumption. The operating cost can be determined from the fuel consumption multiplied by the unit cost. The life cycle cost can be determined by combining the purchase cost and the operating cost of the tire.

Claims

1. A method for determining tire life cycle cost, comprising:

accessing purchase information for a tire for installation on a vehicle;

correlating roll resistance with respect to inflation pressure and vehicle imposed load of the tire;

acquiring customer configuration of the vehicle and usage of the tire;

determining the roll resistance for the customer configuration at a characteristic tread depth;

determining fuel consumption required for overcoming the roll resistance by the vehicle;

assessing a unit cost of the fuel consumption;

determining operating cost from the fuel consumption multiplied by the unit cost; and

combining the purchase cost and the operating cost of the tire.

2. The method for determining tire life cycle cost according to claim 1, wherein determining the roll resistance further comprises establishing the characteristic tread depth as approximately midway between an original condition and a replacement condition.

3. The method for determining tire life cycle cost according to claim 2, wherein determining the roll resistance further comprises:

determining the roll resistance at an original condition from measurement;

determining, subsequent to buffing the tire to an intermediate tread depth between the original condition and a replacement condition, the roll resistance at the intermediate tread depth from measurement;

determining, subsequent to buffing the tire to an end tread depth corresponding approximately to the replacement condition, the roll resistance at the end tread depth from measurement;

determining a slope between the roll resistance at the original condition and the roll resistance at the end tread depth; and

interpolating from the roll resistance at the intermediate tread depth to the characteristic tread depth with the slope to obtain the roll resistance at the characteristic tread depth.

4. The method for determining tire life cycle cost according to claim 1, wherein assessing purchase information further comprises:

acquiring a supplier'"'"'s list price of the tire;

assessing government fees and taxes on a purchase transaction of the tire;

determining delivery cost of transporting the tire to the customer; and

determining installation cost for installing the tire on the vehicle.

5. The method for determining tire life cycle cost according to claim 4, wherein assessing government fees and taxes further comprises:

assessing state and local sales taxes;

assessing regulatory fees;

assessing federal excise taxes; and

assessing value added taxes.

6. The method for determining tire life cycle cost according to claim 1, wherein acquiring customer configuration of the vehicle and usage of the tire further comprises:

assessing a first number of drive axles on a tractor of the vehicle, and a second number of tires on each of the drive axles;

assessing a third number of steer axles on the tractor, and a fourth number of tires on each of the steer axles;

assessing a fifth number of trailer axles on a trailer of the vehicle, and a sixth number of tires on each of the trailer axles;

determining a total number of tires from a sum of a drive product of the first and second numbers plus a steer product of the third and fourth numbers plus a trailer product of the fifth and sixth numbers;

assessing a total time-averaged vehicle load;

determining a tire load as an average of the vehicle load the total number of tires; and

assessing operational target inflation pressure of the tire.

7. The method for determining tire life cycle cost according to claim 1, wherein acquiring customer configuration of the vehicle and usage of the tire further comprises:

assessing a useful distance traveled for the tire from an original condition to a replacement condition; and

assessing a reclamation value for the tire at the replacement condition.

8. The method for determining tire life cycle cost according to claim 6, wherein determining the roll resistance for the customer configuration at a characteristic tread depth further comprises:

establishing the characteristic tread depth as approximately midway between an original condition and a replacement condition;

correlating the roll resistance for the tire load and the inflation pressure at the original condition, and

extrapolating the roll resistance from the original condition to the characteristic tread depth.

9. The method for determining tire life cycle cost according to claim 1, wherein determining fuel consumption required for overcoming the roll resistance by the vehicle further comprises:

converting the roll resistance to normalized work per unit distance;

converting the work to a quantity of fuel per unit distance from a fuel heating value associated with the fuel consumption; and

correcting the quantity of fuel per unit distance by an engine efficiency for obtaining the fuel consumption.

10. The method for determining tire life cycle cost according to claim 1, wherein determining operating cost further comprises adding costs for inventory, storage and maintenance associated with the tire.

11. A machine-readable storage medium having executable software code for determining tire life cycle cost, the software code comprising:

a program for accessing purchase information for a tire for installation on a vehicle;

a program for correlating roll resistance with respect to inflation pressure and vehicle imposed load of the tire;

a program for acquiring customer configuration of the vehicle and usage of the tire;

a program for determining the roll resistance for the customer configuration at a characteristic tread depth;

a program for determining fuel consumption required for overcoming the roll resistance by the vehicle;

a program for assessing a unit cost of the fuel consumption;

a program for determining operating cost from the fuel consumption multiplied by the unit cost; and

a program for combining the purchase cost and the operating cost of the tire.

12. The machine-readable storage medium for determining tire life cycle cost according to claim 11, wherein the program for determining the roll resistance further comprises a program for establishing the characteristic tread depth as approximately midway between an original condition and a replacement condition.

13. The machine-readable storage medium for determining tire life cycle cost according to claim 12, wherein the program for determining the roll resistance further comprises:

a program for determining the roll resistance at an original condition from measurement;

a program for determining, subsequent to buffing the tire to an intermediate tread depth between the original condition and a replacement condition, the roll resistance at the intermediate tread depth from measurement;

a program for determining, subsequent to buffing the tire to an end tread depth corresponding approximately to the replacement condition, the roll resistance at the end tread depth from measurement;

a program for determining a slope between the roll resistance at the original condition and the roll resistance at the end tread depth; and

a program for interpolating from the roll resistance at the intermediate tread depth to the characteristic tread depth with the slope to obtain the roll resistance at the characteristic tread depth.

14. The machine-readable storage medium for determining tire life cycle cost according to claim 11, wherein the program for assessing purchase information further comprises:

a program for acquiring a supplier'"'"'s list price of the tire;

a program for assessing government fees and taxes on a purchase transaction of the tire;

a program for determining delivery cost of transporting the tire to the customer; and

a program for determining installation cost for installing the tire on the vehicle.

15. The machine-readable storage medium for determining tire life cycle cost according to claim 14, wherein the program for assessing government fees and taxes further comprises:

a program for assessing state and local sales taxes;

a program for assessing regulatory fees;

a program for assessing federal excise taxes; and

a program for assessing value added taxes.

16. The machine-readable storage medium for determining tire life cycle cost according to claim 11, wherein the program for acquiring customer configuration of the vehicle and usage of the tire further comprises:

a program for assessing a first number of drive axles on a tractor of the vehicle, and a second number of tires on each of the drive axles;

a program for assessing a third number of steer axles on the tractor, and a fourth number of tires on each of the steer axles;

a program for assessing a fifth number of trailer axles on a trailer of the vehicle, and a sixth number of tires on each of the trailer axles;

a program for determining a total number of tires from a sum of a drive product of the first and second numbers plus a steer product of the third and fourth numbers plus a trailer product of the fifth and sixth numbers;

a program for assessing a total time-averaged vehicle load;

a program for determining a tire load as an average of the vehicle load the total number of tires; and

a program for assessing operational target inflation pressure of the tire.

17. The machine-readable storage medium for determining tire life cycle cost according to claim 11, wherein the program for acquiring customer configuration of the vehicle and usage of the tire further comprises:

a program for assessing a useful distance traveled for the tire from an original condition to a replacement condition; and

a program for assessing a reclamation value for the tire at the replacement condition.

18. The machine-readable storage medium for determining tire life cycle cost according to claim 16, wherein the program for determining the roll resistance for the customer configuration at a characteristic tread depth further comprises:

a program for establishing the characteristic tread depth as approximately midway between an original condition and a replacement condition;

a program for correlating the roll resistance for the tire load and the inflation pressure at the original condition, and

a program for extrapolating the roll resistance from the original condition to the characteristic tread depth.

19. The machine-readable storage medium for determining tire life cycle cost according to claim 11, wherein the program for determining fuel consumption required for overcoming the roll resistance by the vehicle further comprises:

a program for converting the roll resistance to normalized work per unit distance;

a program for converting the work to a quantity of fuel per unit distance from a fuel heating value associated with the fuel consumption; and

a program for correcting the quantity of fuel per unit distance by an engine efficiency for obtaining the fuel consumption.

20. The machine-readable storage medium for determining tire life cycle cost according to claim 11, wherein the program for determining operating cost further comprises a program for adding costs for inventory, storage and maintenance associated with the tire.

21. The machine-readable storage medium for determining tire life cycle cost according to claim 11, wherein the program for acquiring customer configuration of the vehicle and usage of the tire further includes at least one of manual input from an input device, and an established configuration.

22. A method for selling tires to a customer, wherein one factor includes determining tire life cycle cost, the method comprising:

accessing purchase information for a tire for installation on a vehicle;

correlating roll resistance with respect to inflation pressure and vehicle imposed load of the tire;

acquiring customer configuration of the vehicle and usage of the tire;

determining the roll resistance for the customer configuration at a characteristic tread depth;

determining fuel consumption required for overcoming the roll resistance by the vehicle;

assessing a unit cost of the fuel consumption;

determining operating cost from the fuel consumption multiplied by the unit cost;

combining the purchase cost and the operating cost of the tire; and

using the information to sell the tire to the customer.