System and method for monitoring tires of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12094265-B2
Application number	US-202217936163-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2022
Priority date	Sep 28, 2022
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

A method performed by an electronic control unit of a vehicle, to monitor tires of the vehicle. The method includes evaluating a target location to monitor the vehicle tires. Based on the evaluation that the target location is fit to monitor the tires, the method includes initiating a monitoring mode of the vehicle. In response to initiating the monitoring mode, the method includes rotating front tires and back tires of the vehicle in opposite directions. During the rotation of the front and back tires, the method includes monitoring the rotation of the tires by using one or more vehicle sensors. The method further includes determining one or more anomalies in the vehicle tires based on the monitoring of the rotation of the front and back tires. Based on the determination, the method includes performing one or more remedial actions to mitigate the anomalies.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A method to monitor tires of a vehicle, the method comprising:
receive user input to enter a monitoring mode for evaluating the tires;
determine, via an electronic control unit, the vehicle is at a location acceptable for performing the evaluation of the tires in the monitoring mode;
rotating front tires of the vehicle in a first direction using one or more first motors;
rotating back tires of the vehicle in a second direction using one or more second motors, wherein the second direction is opposite to the first direction;
monitoring, via the electronic control unit, the front tires and the back tires using one or more first sensors, during the rotation of the front tires and the back tires;
determining, via the electronic control unit, an anomaly in a first tire of the tires based on the monitoring; and
performing, via the electronic control unit, a remedial action to mitigate the anomaly in the first tire.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the front tires comprise a front left tire and a front right tire, and wherein the one or more first motors comprise a third motor for the front left tire and a fourth motor for the front right tire.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the back tires comprise a back left tire and a back right tire, and wherein the one or more second motors comprise a fifth motor for the back left tire and a sixth motor for the back right tire.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein rotating the front tires and the back tires comprises rotating the front tires and the back tires at same speed, and wherein the speed of the rotation is set by the electronic control unit.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the front tires and the back tires are non-pneumatic tires.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first sensors comprise one or more of an anti-lock braking system (ABS) sensor, an inertial sensor, a vibration sensor, a microphone, or a camera.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining, a mode of occupancy in the vehicle using one or more second sensors; and
based on a determination that the vehicle is in a non-occupant mode, initiating the monitoring mode.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the remedial action comprises:
detecting, via the electronic control unit, a contaminant in or on the first tire; and
displaying, via the electronic control unit, a location and a type of the contaminant on a user interface associated with an operator of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the remedial action comprises recommending, based on the determination of the anomaly, one or more of: reduction of speed of the vehicle, reduction of weight in the vehicle, or travel route and time.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the remedial action comprises:
detecting contaminant in the first tire;
cleaning, via on-board air compressor, the contaminant in or on the first tire, wherein the cleaning comprises an application of pressurized air on the first tire based on the detection of the contaminant in the first tire, and wherein the application of the pressurized air is based on a type and a size of the contaminant;
detecting, via a detection unit, whether the contaminant is removed; and
re-cleaning, via the on-board air compressor, based on a detection that the contaminant is not removed.

11. A vehicle comprising:
a plurality of motors comprising one or more first motors and one or more second motors, wherein the one or more first motors are configured to rotate front tires of the vehicle in a first direction, and wherein the one or more second motors are configured to rotate back tires of the vehicle in a second direction;
one or more first sensors configured to monitor condition of the front tires and the back tires; and
an electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the plurality of motors and the one or more first sensors, wherein the ECU is configured to:
evaluate a target location to monitor the front tires and the back tires;
initiate a monitoring mode of the vehicle to monitor the front tires and the back tires based on the evaluation;
cause to rotate the front tires in the first direction using the one or more first motors;
cause to rotate the back tires in the second direction using the one or more second motors, wherein the second direction is opposite to the first direction;
monitor the front tires and the back tires using the one or more first sensors, during the rotation of the front tires and the back tires;
determine one or more anomalies in the front tires and the back tires based on the monitoring; and
based on the determination of a first anomaly of the one or more anomalies, perform one or more remedial actions to mitigate the first anomaly.

12. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the front tires comprise a front left tire and a front right tire, and wherein the one or more first motors comprise a third motor for the front left tire and a fourth motor for the front right tire.

13. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the back tires comprise a back left tire and a back right tire, and wherein the one or more second motors comprise a fifth motor for the back left tire and a sixth motor for the back right tire.

14. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the front tires and the back tires rotate at a same speed.

15. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the one or more first sensors comprise at least one of an anti-lock braking system (ABS) sensor, an inertial sensor, a vibration sensor, a microphone, or a camera.

16. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the vehicle further comprises one or more second sensors, and wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:
determine, via the one or more second sensors, a mode of occupancy in the vehicle; and
based on a determination that the vehicle is in a non-occupant mode, initiate the monitoring mode.

17. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein to perform the one or more remedial actions, the electronic control unit is configured to:
detect a contaminant in a tire, of the front tires and the back tires, as the first anomaly; and
display a location and a type of the contaminant on a user interface associated with an operator of the vehicle.

18. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein to perform the one or more remedial actions, the electronic control unit is configured to recommend, based on the determination of the first anomaly, one or more of: reduction of speed of the vehicle, reduction of weight in the vehicle, and travel route or time.

19. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein to perform the one or more remedial actions, the electronic control unit is configured to:
detect a contaminant in or on a tire, of the front tires and the back tires, as the one or more anomalies;
clean, via on-board air compressor, the contaminant in the tire, wherein the cleaning comprises an application of pressurized air on the tire based on the detection of the contaminant in the tire, and wherein the application of the pressurized air is based on a type and a size of the contaminant; and
determine, via a detection unit, that the contaminant is removed.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
initiate a monitoring mode of the vehicle to monitor the tires;
cause to rotate front tires of the vehicle in a first direction using one or more first motors;
cause to rotate back tires of the vehicle in a

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Dudar Aed M
• Ghannam Mahmoud Yousef

Classifications

• G01M17/02

  Tyres · CPC title

• G07C5/0825

  using optical means · CPC title

• B60S1/68 Primary

  for freeing wheels or tyres from foreign matter, e.g. wheel scrapers · 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

• B60C23/061

  by monitoring wheel speed (measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles G01C22/00) · CPC title