Tire failure detection

• US 20080018441A1
• Filed: 07/19/2006
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Orrell, John Robert
• Application Number:
  US11/490,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20080018441A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/06 Signalling devices actuated by deformation of the tyre , e.g. tyre mounted deformation sensors or indirect determination of tyre deformation based on wheel speed, wheel-centre to ground distance or inclination of wheel axle

Abstract

Detection of an impending tire failure event is accomplished using a transducer placed near a set of tires on a vehicle. A processor detects a characteristic sound indicative of an impending tire failure event in conjunction with sound information received from the transducer. A warning indication is transmitted by a transceiver to the driver of the vehicle and/or to a remote location in connection with the detection of a characteristic sound indicative of an impending tire failure.

Claims

1. A system for detecting an impending tire failure comprising:

a transducer operable detect sounds and to produce electrical signals corresponding to detected sounds;

a processor coupled to said transducer and being operable to identify a sound characteristic of an impending tire failure; and

a transceiver operable to transmit a warning indication in connection with identification by said processor of said impending tire failure.

2. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein said transducer is selected from the group consisting of a piezo-electric pickup, a condenser microphone, a dynamic microphone or a combination thereof.

3. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein said transducer includes at least one microphone consisting of a condenser microphone, a dynamic microphone, or a combination thereof, said condenser microphone and dynamic microphone being selected from the group consisting of a piezo microphone, a carbon microphone, a ribbon microphone, or an electret microphone.

4. A system as recited in claim 1 further including a memory operable for storing a look-up table including characteristic information pertaining to at least one tire.

5. A system as recited in claim 4 wherein said information includes retread tire information.

6. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein said transceiver is capable of transmitting a warning signal to the operator of a vehicle in response to receiving an indication from said processor of a tire sound characteristic indicative of an impending tire failure event.

7. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein said transceiver is capable of transmitting a warning signal to a remote location in response to receiving an indication from said processor of a tire sound characteristic indicative of an impending tire failure event.

8. A system as recited in claim 7 wherein said transceiver is capable of transmitting said warning signal using communications consisting of terrestrial communications, satellite communications or a combination thereof.

9. A system as recited in claim 1 further including a processor operable to convert sampled analog time domain data from said transducer into frequency domain data.

10. A system as recited in claim 9 wherein said processor is operable to convert said analog time domain data into Fourier Transform data.

11. A system as recited in claim 10 wherein said Fourier transform data is Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) data.

12. A system as recited in claim 9 wherein said processor is operable to convert said analog time domain data into power spectrum data.

13. A system as recited in claim 9 wherein said processor is operable to convert said analog time domain data into power spectral density data.

14. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein said tire is a retread tire.

15. A transducer assembly adapted to connect to the frame of a vehicle comprising:

a transducer; and

a pole connected to said transducer, said transducer assembly being further adapted to be deposed in the vicinity of a vehicle tire.

16. A transducer as recited in claim 15 wherein said transducer includes at least one microphone.

17. A transducer as recited in claim 15 wherein said transducer includes a piezo-electric element.

18. A method of detecting an impending tire failure on a vehicle comprising:

taking samples of sounds emitted near a tire;

converting said samples of sounds to digital data;

computing Fourier Transforms using said digital data;

determining whether a threshold of a function of said Fourier Transforms has been exceeded; and

issuing a warning indication in connection with said threshold being exceeded.

19. A method as recited in claim 18 wherein said function is selected from functions consisting of a function of power spectrum or a function of power spectral density.

20. A method as recited in claim 18 wherein said warning indication is issued to a driver of a vehicle.

21. A method as recited in claim 18 wherein said warning indication is issued to a remote location.

22. A method as recited in claim 18 wherein said warning indication consists of a sound produced by a siren, a buzzer, a beeper, a speech synthesizer and a combination thereof.

23. A method as recited in claim 18 wherein said tire is a retread tire.

24. A method as recited in claim 18 further including determining whether a threshold of a function of said Fourier Transforms has been exceeded in connection with using comparison information received via a wireless transmission.

25. A method as recited in claim 18 wherein at least one of said converting, computing, determining and issuing steps occurs at a remote location from said vehicle.