Tire maintenance system

• US 7,301,445 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2004
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Moughler, Eric Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US11/022,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20060152352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 340438-448, 73146-1468, 116/34.A, 116/34.B, 116/34.R
• US Class Current: 340/442
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/04 mounted on the wheel or tyre
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A method of managing at least one vehicle includes sensing a tire operating characteristic of the at least one vehicle, sensing a vehicle operating characteristic of the at least one vehicle, and providing an output. The output is indicative of an expected tire life, and is based on the tire operating characteristic and the vehicle operating characteristic of the at least one vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of managing a plurality of vehicles comprising:

sensing a tire operating characteristic of at least one of the plurality of vehicles during an operation;

sensing a vehicle operating characteristic of the at least one vehicle during the operation;

providing an output signal indicative of an expected tire life based on the tire operating characteristic and the vehicle operating characteristic of the at least one vehicle; and

altering operation of the plurality of vehicles in response to the output signal generated based on the at least one but not necessarily all of the plurality of vehicles.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tire operating characteristic includes at least one of tire temperature, tire pressure, distance traveled, and tire load.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle operating characteristic includes at least one of engine temperature, engine speed, engine torque, vehicle fluid temperature, fluid flow rate, fluid pressure, exhaust flow, exhaust temperature, vehicle run time, distance traveled, gear position, throttle position, ambient air temperature, vehicle speed, brake temperature, brake application, fuel consumption, strut pressure, and payload weight.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle operating characteristic is sensed during operation of a desired application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the tire operating characteristic is sensed during operation of a desired application.

6. The method of claim 1, further including determining whether at least one of the tire operating characteristic and the vehicle operating characteristic is within a desired range.

7. The method of claim 6, further including determining whether the at least one vehicle is performing a desired application.

8. The method of claim 6, further including sending an alarm containing information corresponding to at least one of the tire operating characteristic and the vehicle operating characteristic.

9. The method of claim 6, further including altering the operation of the plurality of vehicles in response to at least one of the tire operating characteristic and the vehicle operating characteristic.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein an operator alters an aspect of the operation of the plurality of vehicles in response to at least one of the tire operating characteristic and the vehicle operating characteristic.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one vehicle includes the plurality of vehicles.

12. The method of claim 1, further including calculating an expected tire life and altering the operation of the plurality of vehicles in response to the expected tire life.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein an operator alters an aspect of the operation of the plurality of vehicles in response to at least one of the tire operating characteristic and the vehicle operating characteristic.

14. The method of claim 1, further including providing an output signal indicative of an expected vehicle life based on the expected tire life output signal.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the output signal indicative of expected tire life is a calculated value that is calculated remotely.

16. The method of claim 1, further including collecting pre-operation tire data corresponding to at least one tire operating characteristic.

17. The method of claim 16, further including providing a recorder configured to store the pre-operation tire data.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the pre-operation tire data corresponds to at least one of tire pressure, tire temperature, and tire condition.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein providing an output signal indicative of expected tire life further includes basing the output signal on the pre-operation tire data.

20. The method of claim 1, further including providing a receiver configured to receive and transmit data corresponding to at least one of the tire operating characteristic and the vehicle operating characteristic.

21. A method of managing a plurality of vehicles, comprising:

sensing at least one tire operating characteristic and at least one vehicle operating characteristic of at least one of the plurality of vehicles;

providing an output signal indicative of an expected tire life based on the at least one sensed tire operating characteristic and the at least one sensed vehicle operating characteristic of the at least one vehicle;

providing an output signal indicative of a travel path condition of a jobsite where the plurality of vehicles operate based on the expected tire life output signal; and

altering the operation of the plurality of vehicles in response to the expected tire life and the travel path condition output signals generated based on at least one but not necessarily all of the plurality of vehicles.

22. The method of claim 21, further including altering the travel path condition in response to the expected tire life output signal.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the travel path condition includes at least one of vehicle travel path slope and vehicle travel path surface quality.

24. The method of claim 21, further including storing information particular to each of the plurality of vehicles, the information corresponding to at least one of the expected tire life, the tire operating characteristic and the vehicle operating characteristic.

25. The method of claim 21, further including calculating an expected change in jobsite productivity based on the expected tire life output signal.

26. The method of claim 21, further including identifying a responsible operator associated with the expected tire life output signal.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein altering the operation of the plurality of vehicles includes at least one of modifying a payload weight, changing a vehicle speed, modifying a distance traveled, and modifying a path traveled.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the output signal indicative of expected tire life is calculated remotely.

29. The method of claim 21, further including collecting pre-operation tire data corresponding to at least one tire operating characteristic.

30. The method of claim 29, further including providing a recorder configured to store the pre-operation tire data.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the pre-operation tire data corresponds to at least one of tire pressure, tire temperature, and tire condition.

32. The method of claim 21, further including providing a receiver configured to receive and transmit data corresponding to at least one of the tire operating characteristic and the vehicle operating characteristic.

33. A system for monitoring vehicle conditions of a plurality of vehicles comprising:

a vehicle sensor configured to sense at least one vehicle operating characteristic of at least one of the plurality of vehicles;

a tire sensor configured to sense at least one tire operating characteristic of the at least one vehicle;

a controller in communication with each of the tire and vehicle sensors of the at least one vehicle; and

a central processor in communication with the controller and configured to provide an output signal indicative of an expected tire life of the at least one vehicle based on the at least one vehicle operating characteristic and the at least one tire operating characteristic, and to alter operation of the plurality of vehicles in response to the expected tire life output signal of the at least one but not necessarily all of the plurality of vehicle.

34. The system of claim 33, further including a recorder in communication with the at least one tire sensor and configured to transmit data to the central processor.

35. The system of claim 33, further including a receiver in communication with the controller and configured to transmit data to the central processor.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the controller is an electronic control module.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein the at least one tire operating characteristic includes one of tire temperature, tire pressure, distance traveled, and tire load.

38. The system of claim 33, wherein the at least one vehicle operating characteristic includes one of engine temperature, engine speed, engine torque, vehicle fluid temperature, fluid flow rate, fluid pressure, exhaust flow, exhaust temperature, vehicle run time, distance traveled, gear position, throttle position, ambient air temperature, vehicle speed, brake temperature, brake application, fuel consumption, strut pressure, and payload weight.

39. The system of claim 33, wherein the central processor is disposed in a remote location relative to the vehicle.

40. The system of claim 33, wherein the at least one vehicle includes the plurality of vehicles.

41. A method of managing a jobsite, comprising:

receiving information corresponding to an expected tire life of at least one of a plurality of vehicles operating at the jobsite based on a sensed tire operating characteristic and a sensed vehicle operating characteristic of the at least one vehicle;

altering a jobsite performance indicator in response to the information corresponding to the expected tire life of the at least one vehicle; and

altering operation of the plurality of vehicles in response to the altered jobsite performance indicator based on at least one but not necessarily all of the plurality of vehicles.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the jobsite performance indicator includes at least one of vehicle maintenance schedule, jobsite inventory, jobsite operating budget, operator work schedule, jobsite production timeline, and resource output.

43. The method of claim 41, further including altering a jobsite condition in response to the expected tire life.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the jobsite condition includes at least one of vehicle travel path slope and vehicle travel path surface quality.

45. The method of claim 41, further including storing information particular to each of the plurality of vehicles, the information corresponding to at least one of the expected tire life, the tire operating characteristic, and the vehicle operating characteristic.

46. The method of claim 41, further including calculating an expected change in jobsite productivity based on the expected tire life.

47. The method of claim 41, further including identifying a responsible operator associated with the expected tire life.

48. The method of claim 41, wherein the expected tire life is calculated in a remote location relative to the at least one of a plurality of vehicles.

49. A method of managing a jobsite, comprising:

sensing a tire operating characteristic of at least one of a plurality of vehicles operating at the jobsite;

sensing a vehicle operating characteristic of the at least one vehicle;

providing an output signal indicative of a travel path condition of the jobsite based on the tire operating characteristic and the vehicle operating characteristic of the at least one vehicle; and

altering the operation of the plurality of vehicles in response to the output signal generated based on at least one but not necessarily all of the plurality of vehicles.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the travel path condition of the jobsite includes at least one of vehicle travel path slope and vehicle travel path surface quality.

51. The method of claim 49, further including calculating an expected change in jobsite productivity based on the output signal.

52. A method of managing a jobsite, comprising:

sensing a tire operating characteristic of at least one of a plurality of vehicles operating at the jobsite;

sensing a vehicle operating characteristic of the at least one vehicle;

providing an output signal indicative of an estimated jobsite productivity based on the tire operating characteristic and the vehicle operating characteristic of the at least one vehicle; and

altering operation of the plurality of vehicles in response to the output signal generated based on at least one but not necessarily all of the plurality of vehicles.

53. The method of claim 52, further including generating a performance modification command based on an actual estimated jobsite productivity value.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the generating a performance modification command is in response to a comparison between the actual estimated jobsite productivity value and a desired jobsite productivity value.

55. The method of claim 53, further including altering the operation of the plurality of vehicles in response to the performance modification command.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the altering the operation of the plurality of vehicles includes at least one of modifying a payload weight, changing a vehicle speed, modifying a distance traveled, changing an application performed, and modifying a path traveled.

57. The method of claim 53, further including altering the operation of the jobsite in response to the performance modification command.