TIRE INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20070057478A1
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation, Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire LLC (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Inventors: Wilson, Paul, SHOYAMA, Yoshinobu
• Granted Patent: US 7,616,106 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/86.500
• 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: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A tire information management system used for a mining site including a sensor configured to measure the condition of a tire attached to each of a plurality of vehicles for transporting mineral resources. A tire information management apparatus is configured to receive, by radio, a measurement transmitted by the sensor, and to transmit, to one of the vehicles that the measurement comes from, deterioration restraint information for restraining progress of deterioration of the tire, in a case where the received measurement is not within an allowable range.

Claims

1. A tire information management system used for a mining site, comprising:

a sensor configured to measure the condition of a tire attached to each of a plurality of vehicles for transporting mineral resources; and

a tire information management apparatus configured to receive, by radio, a measurement transmitted by the sensor, and to transmit, to one of the vehicles that the measurement comes from, deterioration restraint information for restraining progress of deterioration of the tire, in a case where the received measurement is not within an allowable range.

2. The tire information management system of claim 1, wherein the deterioration restraint information is information recommending a check on the tire.

3. The tire information management system of claim 1, wherein the deterioration restraint information is information recommending reduction of the load weight on the vehicle.

4. The tire information management system of claim 1, wherein the deterioration restraint information is information recommending reduction of the speed of the vehicle.

5. The tire information management system of claim 1, wherein the deterioration restraint information is information recommending an adjustment of the internal pressure of the tire of the vehicle.

6. The tire information management system of claim 1, further comprising a position identification unit configured to transmit the current position and the destination of the vehicle to the tire information management apparatus,

wherein, in a case where the received measurement is not within the allowable range, the tire information management apparatus selects, from a plurality of drive routes that the vehicle can take from the current position to the destination, a drive route that is less likely to place a large burden on the tire, and transmits, to the vehicle that the measurement comes from, the selected drive route included in the deterioration restraint information.

7. The tire information management system of claim 6, wherein, in a case where the received measurement is not within the allowable range, the tire information management apparatus selects, from the plurality of drive routes, a drive route with a shorter distance to the destination.

8. The tire information management system of claim 6, wherein, in a case where the received measurement is not within the allowable range, the tire information management apparatus selects, from the plurality of drive routes, a drive route with a better road surface condition.

9. The tire information management system of claim 1, wherein, in a case where the received measurement is not within the allowable range, the tire information management apparatus calculates, based on temporal changes in the measurement, expected timing of a check on the tire, and transmits the expected timing of the check to a repair shop supposed to check the vehicle that the measurement comes from.

10. The tire information management system of claim 1,

wherein the measurements include an internal pressure and a temperature of the tire of the vehicle, and

wherein, in a case where the temperature included in the received measurements is not within an allowable range thereof, the tire information management apparatus determines that the internal pressure is abnormal, and transmits the deterioration restraint information to the vehicle that the measurements come from.

11. The tire information management system of claim 1, further comprising a position identification unit configured to transmit the current position and the destination of the vehicle to the tire information management apparatus,

wherein the allowable range includes a certain allowable value at which it is highly possible that the tire of the vehicle undergoes a failure, and

wherein, in a case where the received measurement reaches the certain allowable value, the tire information management center selects, from a plurality of drive routes from the current position to the destination, a drive route that is less likely to place a large burden on the tire, and transmits, to the vehicle that the measurement comes from, drive route information indicating the selected drive route.