Accoustic/vibration sensor and tire assembly and method of construction thereof

• US 8,977,422 B1
• Filed: 11/06/2013
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
• Original Assignee: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
• Inventors: Westfall, David Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALHARBI, ADAM MOHAMED
• Application Number:
  US14/072,870
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/30.6
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2019/004 Tyre sensors other than for detecting tyre pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2019/007 triggered by sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1725 Using tyre sensors, e.g. Sidewall Torsion sensors [SWT] for tyre pressure and temperature detection B60C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07764 the adhering arrangement making the record carrier attachable to a tire tire temperature or pressur control arrangements, see B60C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance

Abstract

A system maintains integrity of a vehicle, a wheel, and/or a tire. The system includes a sensor mounted to the wheel or the tire and a processor for receiving data from the sensor. The processor analyzes the data and forms a status estimation of the vehicle, the wheel, and the tire. The processor further transmits the status estimation and a recommendation for repair to an appropriate party.

Claims

1. A system for maintaining integrity of a vehicle comprises:

other vehicles for accurately determining road conditions;

a sensor mounted to a tire;

a processor for receiving data from the sensor, the processor analyzing the data and forming a status estimation of the vehicle, the wheel, and the tire, the processor further transmitting the status estimation and a recommendation for repair to an appropriate party,

the processor receiving the data through an intermediate device comprising a hardwired network, the processor being in communication with a common repository such that data from the sensor is combined with data from sensors of the other vehicles for cross-referencing and determination of road conditions whereby the processor recommends tire rotation, a traction control update, and vehicle alignment to the appropriate party and the common repository determines the GPS coordinates of a pothole.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the sensor is an acoustic sensor.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the sensor is a vibration sensor.

4. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the data from the sensor is used by the processor for determining road conditions at selected GPS coordinates.