Method and apparatus for detecting abnormalities of tire, and program for detecting abnormalities of tire

• US 6,711,505 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2002
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Inventors: Nakao, Yukio
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bryan
• Application Number:
  US10/225,497
• Publication Number:
  US 20030065455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 702/34, 702/35, 702/36, 702/66, 702/70, 702/71, 702/114, 702/142, 702/145, 731/46, 731/461, 731/462, 340/442, 340/443, 340/444
• US Class Current: 702/34
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/061 by monitoring wheel speed measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles G01C22/00

Abstract

A method for detecting abnormalities of a tire which detects abnormalities of a tire on the basis of rotational information obtained from tires attached to wheels of a vehicle. The method includes the steps of: detecting rotational pulses of wheels of the tires, calculating and storing rotational information of the tires on the basis of the rotational pulses, calculating and processing fluctuations in rotational pulse intervals in a single rotation of the tires on the basis of the rotational information, and storing data during driving which have been processed for each single rotation and performing prediction of abnormalities of a tire on the basis of changes in the data. Irregularities in rotational information of rotational pulses in a single rotation of the tires are detected for predicting a danger of abnormalities occurring to the tires to thus enable safe driving.

Claims

1. A method for detecting abnormalities of a tire which detects abnormalities of a tire on the basis of rotational information obtained from tires attached to wheels of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

detecting rotational pulses of wheels of the tires, calculating and storing rotational information of the tires on the basis of the rotational pulses, calculating and processing fluctuations in rotational pulse intervals in a single rotation of the tires on the basis of the rotational information, and storing data during driving which have been processed for each single rotation and performing prediction of abnormalities of a tire on the basis of changes in the data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein information concerning irregularities in rotations which are the data processed per single rotation is stored under a condition in which it is regarded that the vehicle is running at a constant speed.

3. The method of any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the changes in irregularities are obtained by a waveform process for calculating actual values of differences obtained by comparing waveforms and comparing the same with a reference value;

a waveform process for calculating degrees of differences between maximum values and minimum values and comparing the same;

or a waveform process means for performing analysis of degrees accompanying the rotation for comparing the degree components.

4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the changes in data are obtained by a process comparing with preliminarily set peak-to-peak amplitude values or prescribed values of degree components.

5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein influences of running speed of the vehicle is additionally taken into consideration when performing prediction of abnormalities of tires.

6. An apparatus for detecting abnormalities of a tires which detects abnormalities of a tire on the basis of rotational information obtained from tires attached to wheels of a vehicle, comprising:

a rotational information detecting means for detecting rotational pulses of wheels of the tires;

a calculating and storing means for calculating and storing rotational information of the tires on the basis of the rotational pulses;

a processing means for calculating and processing fluctuations in rotational pulse intervals in a single rotation of the tires on the basis of the rotational information; and

an abnormality detecting means for storing data during driving which have been processed for each single rotation and performing predictions of abnormalities of a tire on the basis of changes in the data.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the abnormality detecting means comprises, for obtaining the changes in data, a waveform processing means for calculating actual values of differences obtained by comparing waveforms and comparing the same with a reference value;

a waveform processing means for calculating degrees of differences between maximum values and minimum values and comparing the same;

or a waveform processing means for performing analysis of degrees accompanying the rotation for comparing the degree components.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the abnormality detecting means comprises a comparing means for comparing changes in data with preliminarily set peak-to-peak amplitude values or prescribed values of degree components.

9. A program for detecting abnormalities of a tire, which makes a computer function, for predicting abnormal conditions of a tire, as a calculating and storing means for calculating and storing rotational information of tires on the basis of the rotational pulses, a processing means for calculating and processing fluctuations in rotational pulse intervals in a single rotation of the tires on the basis of the rotational information, and an abnormality detecting means for storing data during driving which have been processed for each single rotation and performing predictions of abnormalities of a tire on the basis of changes in the data.

10. A method for detecting abnormalities of a tire which detects abnormalities of a tire on the basis of rotational information obtained from tires attached to wheels of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

detecting rotational pulses of wheels of the respective tires;

calculating and storing rotational information of the tires on the basis of the rotational pulses;

comparing whether a running speed of the vehicle is not more than a reference speed or not;

calculating and processing an amount of fluctuations in rotational pulse intervals in a single rotation of the tires on the basis of the rotational information;

comparing, in case the running speed of the vehicle is not more than the reference speed, the processed data with a specified reference value to determine whether the data fall within a preliminarily set range for the data; and

predicting, on the basis of the determination of the comparison, that a danger exists that abnormalities are likely to occur to a tire during high speed running and accordingly issuing an alarm.

12. The method of any one of claims 10 to 11, wherein the method further includes the steps of:

comparing whether the running speed of the vehicle has exceeded a reference for high-speed running and predicting heavy dangers so as to terminate high-speed running in case the running speed of the vehicle exceeds the reference for high-speed running.

11. A method for detecting abnormalities of a tire which detects abnormalities of a tire on the basis of rotational information obtained from tires attached to wheels of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

detecting rotational pulses of wheels of the respective tires;

calculating and storing rotational information of the tires on the basis of the rotational pulses;

comparing whether a running speed of the vehicle is not more than a reference speed or not;

calculating and processing an amount of fluctuations in rotational pulse intervals in a single rotation of the tires on the basis of the rotational information;

storing data during driving that have been processed for each single rotation;

comparing a compared value, which has been obtained by comparing fluctuations in rotational pulse intervals in a single rotation of the tires at the time the vehicle performs low speed running with the stored data, with a threshold for indicating a load condition of the tire, in case the running speed of the vehicle is not more than the reference speed; and

predicting, on the basis of the determination of the comparison, that a danger exists that abnormalities are likely to occur to a tire during high speed running and accordingly issuing an alarm.

13. An apparatus for detecting abnormalities of a tire which detects abnormalities of a tire on the basis of rotational information obtained from tires attached to wheels of a vehicle, comprising:

a detecting means for detecting rotational pulses of wheels of the respective tires;

a calculating and storing means for calculating and storing rotational information of the tires on the basis of the rotational pulses;

a speed comparing means for comparing whether a running speed of the vehicle is not more than a reference speed or not;

a fluctuation processing means for calculating and processing an mount of fluctuations in rotational pulse intervals in a single rotation of the tires on the basis of the rotational information;

a reference value comparing means for comparing the processed data with a specified reference value for determining, in case the running speed of the vehicle is not more than the reference speed, whether the data fall within a preliminarily set range for the data;

an abnormality predicting means for predicting, on the basis of the determination of the comparison, that a danger exists that abnormalities are likely to occur to a tire when performing high speed running; and

an alarming means for issuing an alarm.

15. The apparatus of any one of claims 13 to 14, wherein the apparatus further includes a second speed comparing means for comparing whether the running speed of the vehicle has exceeded a reference for high-speed running and a second abnormality announcing means for predicting heavy dangers so as to terminate high-speed running in case the running speed of the vehicle exceeds the reference for high-speed running.

14. An apparatus for detecting abnormalities of a tire which detects abnormalities of a tire on the basis of rotational information obtained from tires attached to wheels of a vehicle, comprising:

a detecting means for detecting rotational pulses of wheels of the respective tires;

a calculating and storing means for calculating and storing rotational information of the tires on the basis of the rotational pulses;

a speed comparing means for comparing whether a running speed of the vehicle is not more than a reference speed or not;

a fluctuation processing means for calculating and processing an amount of fluctuations in rotational pulse intervals in a single rotation of the tires on the basis of the rotational information;

a storing means for storing data which have been processed for each single rotation during running;

a threshold comparing means for comparing a compared value, which has been obtained by comparing fluctuations in rotational pulse intervals in a single rotation of the tires at the time the vehicle performs low speed running with the stored data, with a threshold for indicating a load condition of the tire, in case the running speed of the vehicle is not more than the reference speed;

an abnormality announcing means for predicting, on the basis of the determination of the comparison, that a danger exists that abnormalities are likely to occur to a tire when performing high speed running; and

an alarming means for issuing an alarm.

16. A program for detecting abnormalities of a tire, which makes a computer function, for predicting abnormal conditions of tires, as a calculating and storing means for calculating and storing rotational information of the tires on the basis of the rotational pulses;

a speed comparing means for comparing whether a running speed of the vehicle is not more than a reference speed or not;

an fluctuation processing means for calculating and processing an amount of fluctuations in rotational pulse intervals in a single rotation of the tires on the basis of the rotational information;

a reference value comparing means for comparing the processed data with a specified reference value in case the running speed of the vehicle is not more than the reference speed, whether the processed data fall within a preliminarily set range for the data or not; and

an abnormality predicting means for predicting, on the basis of the determination of the comparison, that a danger exists that abnormalities are likely to occur to a tire when performing high speed running, and issuing an alarm.

18. The program of any one of claims 16 to 17, wherein the computer is made to function as a second speed comparing means for comparing whether the running speed of the vehicle has exceeded a reference for high-speed running and a second abnormality announcing means for predicting heavy dangers so as to terminate high-speed running in case the running speed of the vehicle exceeds the reference for high-speed running.

17. A program for detecting abnormalities of a tire, which makes a computer function, for predicting abnormal conditions of tires, as a calculating and storing means for calculating and storing rotational information of the tires on the basis of the rotational pulses;

a speed comparing means for comparing whether a running speed of the vehicle is not more than a reference speed or not;

a fluctuation processing means for calculating and processing an amount of fluctuations in rotational pulse intervals in a single rotation of the tires on the basis of the rotational information;

a storing means for storing processed data per single rotation during running;

a threshold comparing means for comparing a compared value, which has been obtained by comparing fluctuations in rotational pulse intervals in a single rotation of the tires at the time the vehicle performs low speed running with the stored data, with a threshold for indicating a load condition of the tire, in case the running speed of the vehicle is not more than the reference speed; and

an abnormality predicting means for predicting, on the basis of the determination of the comparison, that a danger exists that abnormalities are likely to occur to a tire when performing high speed running and accordingly issuing an alarm.