Tire condition telematics system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10424129-B2
Application number	US-201715471875-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2017
Priority date	Mar 28, 2016
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

A tire condition telematics system. The system includes a vehicle having an onboard computer and one or more wheel assemblies with one or more tires with a tire tread. A prediction as to when said tire tread will fall below a minimum tread depth in performed. The prediction is based on an amount of distance said wheel assemblies experience said wheel slip condition, a distance said wheel assemblies drive over said one or more road materials, a distance said wheel assemblies drive in rain and snow, a distance one or more loads are on said vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of predicting a tire condition, comprising:
providing a vehicle having one or more wheel assemblies, wherein said one or more wheel assemblies have one or more tires each with a tire tread;
providing an onboard computer having one or more data processors, wherein said one or more processors are operably configured to receive and analyze data from one or more sensors;
inputting an initial pre-determined tread depth of said tire tread of one or more of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies into said onboard computer;
determining an amount of distance traveled by said vehicle while said one or more wheel assemblies experience a wheel slip condition using a tire traction system;
determining an amount of distance traveled by said vehicle while said one or more wheel assemblies drive over one or more road materials of one or more roads using a lane tracking system, a Global Positioning System and/or a map system;
determining an amount of distance traveled by said vehicle while said one or more wheel assemblies drive over one or more road grades using said Global Positioning System and/or said map system;
determining an amount of distance traveled by said vehicle while said one or more wheel assemblies drive in rain;
determining an amount of distance traveled by said vehicle while said one or more wheel assemblies drive in snow, wherein said amount of distance traveled in said snow and/or rain is determined using one or more wiper system sensors;
determining an amount of distance traveled by said vehicle while one or more loads are on said vehicle using one or more pressure sensors; and
predicting when a tread depth of said tire tread of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies will fall below a minimum tread depth using said on board computer of said vehicle, wherein said prediction is determined by said initial pre-determined tread depth inputted, said amount of distance determined said one or more wheel assemblies have experienced said wheel slip condition, said amount of distance determined said one or more wheel assemblies have driven over said one or more road materials, said amount of distance determined said one or more wheel assemblies have driven in said rain, said amount of distance determined said one or more wheel assemblies have driven in said snow, said amount of distance determined said one or more loads are on said vehicle, said amount of distance determined said one or more wheel assemblies have driven over one or more road grades.

2. The method of predicting a tire condition of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: providing a vehicle telematics unit;
transmitting said prediction for when said tread depth of said tire tread of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies will fall below said minimum tread depth to a cloud-based server, wherein said transmission occurs when one or more of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies is within a pre-determined amount of distance from when one or more of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies has been predicted to fall below said minimum tread depth with said telematics unit of said vehicle;
receiving said prediction for when said tread depth of said tire tread of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies will fall below said minimum tread depth by said cloud-based server;
transmitting a request for a quote to, at least one of repair or replace, one or more of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies from said cloud-based server to one or more tire service providers within a pre-determined radius from a geographic location of said vehicle;
receiving said request for said quote from said cloud-based server by said one or more tire service providers;
transmitting said quote from said one or more tire service providers to said cloud-based server; and
transmitting said quote from said cloud-based server to one or more vehicle owners and/or vehicle operators.

3. The method of predicting and communicating a tire condition of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: determining an ambient temperature said vehicle is traveling in; and
using said ambient temperature said vehicle is traveling in said prediction for when said tread depth of said tire tread of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies will fall below a minimum tread depth.

4. The method of predicting a tire condition of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: measuring an internal pressure of one or more of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies of said vehicle;
determining an amount of distance one or more of said one or more tires have been driven with an internal pressure below a pre-determined optimal operating pressure; and
using said amount of distance traveled by said vehicle while one or more of said one or more tires has had an internal pressure below said pre-determined optimal operating pressure in said prediction for when said tread depth of said tire tread of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies will fall below a minimum tread depth.

5. The method of predicting a tire condition of claim 4 , wherein said internal pressure of said one or more tires is measured by using one or more pressure sensors.

6. The method of predicting a tire condition of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: determining an amount of braking force applied by one or more braking systems to said one or more wheel assemblies using one or more brake force sensors;
using said amount of braking force applied by said one or more braking systems to said one or more wheel assemblies determined in said prediction for when said tread depth of said tire tread of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies will fall below a minimum tread depth.

7. The method of predicting a tire condition of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: determining a speed of said vehicle when said braking force is applied to said one or more wheel assemblies by said one or more braking systems using one or more speed sensors;
using said speed of said vehicle determined when said braking force is applied to said one or more wheel assemblies by said one or more braking systems in said prediction for when said tread depth of said tire tread of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies will fall below a minimum tread depth.

8. The method of predicting a tire condition of claim 1 , wherein said initial pre-determined tread depth inputted into said onboard computer is determined by measuring said tread depth of said one or more wheel assemblies by using a laser sensor, manufacture tire tread depth specification data, and/or a hand gauge.

9. A method of predicting a tire condition, comprising:
providing a vehicle having a telematics unit and one or more wheel assemblies, wherein said one or more wheel assemblies of said vehicle each having one or more tires with a tire tread;
inputting an initial pre-determined tread depth of said tire tread of one or more of said one or more tires of said one or more wheel assemblies into an onboard computer of said vehicle;
determining an amount of distance traveled by said vehicle while said one or more wheel assemblies experience a wheel slip condition using a tire traction system;
determining an amount of distance traveled by said vehicle while said one or more wheel assemblies drive over one or more road materials of one or more roads using a lane tracking system, a Global Positioning System and/or a map system;
determining an amount of distance traveled by said vehicle while said one or more wheel assemblies drive over one or more road grades using

Assignees

• Dana Heavy Vehicle Sys Group

Inventors

• Laskey Ryan W
• Turner Douglas D

Classifications

• B60C11/24

  Wear-indicating arrangements · CPC title

• B60C23/0408

  transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver · CPC title

• B60C23/0479

  Communicating with external units being not part of the vehicle, e.g. tools for diagnostic, mobile phones, electronic keys or service stations · CPC title

• B60C11/246 Primary

  Tread wear monitoring systems · CPC title

• B60C23/0484

  Detecting an ongoing tyre inflation · CPC title