Tire-diagnosis system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10093140-B2
Application number	US-201715438014-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2017
Priority date	Feb 21, 2017
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

A computer is programmed to determine that a first vehicle and a second vehicle are in a platoon without an intervening vehicle, receive a thermal image of a tire of the first vehicle from the second vehicle, navigate a route for the first vehicle based upon determining that the thermal image exceeds a threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer programmed to:
determine that a first vehicle and a second vehicle are in a platoon without an intervening vehicle;
receive a thermal image of a tire of the first vehicle from the second vehicle; and
navigate a route for the first vehicle based upon determining that the thermal image exceeds a threshold.

2. The computer of claim 1 , wherein determining that the thermal image exceeds the threshold includes determining that an average temperature across a width of the tire exceeds the threshold.

3. The computer of claim 1 , wherein determining that the thermal image exceeds the threshold includes determining that a temperature difference between a shoulder and a midpoint along a width of the tire exceeds the threshold.

4. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the computer is further programmed to request the thermal image of the tire upon determining that a surrounding environment is at least one of dry and dark.

5. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the computer is further programmed to request the thermal image of the tire upon determining that the first and second vehicles are traveling on a straight road.

6. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the computer is further programmed to request the thermal image of the tire upon determining that the tire has reached a plateau pressure.

7. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the computer is further programmed to request the thermal image of the tire upon receiving a low-pressure warning about the tire.

8. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the computer is further programmed to determine that the tire needs replacing before completing an originally planned route in response to the thermal image exceeding the threshold.

9. The computer of claim 8 , wherein the computer is further programmed to transmit a request for a spare tire to nearby vehicles upon determining that the first vehicle lacks a spare tire.

10. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the computer is further programmed to navigate a route having smoother roads than an originally planned route upon determining that the thermal image exceeds the threshold.

11. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the computer is further programmed to transmit a request for a change in a relative position within the platoon, and upon changing the relative position, request the thermal image of the tire.

12. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the computer is further programmed to instruct a thermographic camera of the first vehicle to take a thermal image of a tire of the second vehicle.

13. A computer programmed to:
identify an apparatus having a thermographic camera facing a tire of a vehicle;
request a thermal image of the tire from the apparatus; and
navigate a route for the vehicle upon determining that the thermal image exceeds a threshold.

14. The computer of claim 13 , wherein determining that the thermal image exceeds the threshold includes determining that an average temperature across a width of the tire exceeds the threshold.

15. The computer of claim 13 , wherein determining that the thermal image exceeds the threshold includes determining that a temperature difference between a shoulder and a midpoint along a width of the tire exceeds the threshold.

16. A method comprising:
determining that a first vehicle and a second vehicle are in a platoon without an intervening vehicle;
receiving a thermal image of a tire of the first vehicle from the second vehicle; and
navigating a route for the first vehicle upon determining that the thermal image exceeds a threshold.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein determining that the thermal image exceeds the threshold includes determining that an average temperature across a width of the tire exceeds the threshold.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein determining that the thermal image exceeds the threshold includes determining that a temperature difference between a shoulder and a midpoint along a width of the tire exceeds the threshold.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising determining that the tire needs replacing before completing an originally planned route in response to the thermal image exceeding the threshold.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising navigating a route to having smoother roads than an originally planned route upon determining that the thermal image exceeds the threshold.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Dudar Aed M

Classifications

• B60C23/20 Primary

  Devices for measuring or signalling tyre temperature {only} · CPC title

• G08G1/22

  Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles · CPC title

• G01C21/34

  Route searching; Route guidance · CPC title

• B60W2756/10

  Involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle · CPC title

• G01K13/00

  Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes · CPC title