Tire condition determination system, tire condition determination device, tire condition determination method, and storage medium

Abstract

A tire condition determination system (100) acquires, from a vehicle (50), condition data containing various information capable of having an influence on deterioration of a base portion of a tire (1), and calculates an evaluation value (S) indicating a condition of the base portion of the tire (1) from the acquired condition data. Thereby, an examiner who examines the suitability as a base tire can grasp in advance the condition of the base portion of the tire as a judgment material for whether or not to be used as a base tire.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a tire condition determination system capable of determining the condition of the base portion of a tire used in the operation of a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Previously, retread tires (see Patent Document 1) were known to restore tire function by replacing the tread layer with new tread rubber at the end of a tire's lifespan. These retread tires are economically efficient and environmentally friendly, and their popularity has been increasing in recent years. They are also known as reconstituted tires or recycled tires.

[0003] The retreaded tire is manufactured by gluing tread rubber onto a base tire with the tread portion removed and then vulcanizing it.

[0004] However, not all tires at the end of their service life can be used as base tires. Only tires that have been rigorously inspected and deemed to have sufficient durability can be used as base tires.

[0005] Existing technical documents

[0006] Patent documents

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-1351 Summary of the Invention

[0008] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0009] However, determining whether a tire is suitable for use as a base tire requires a primary inspection process involving visual and tactile examinations by vehicle inspectors, followed by a secondary inspection process using high-voltage testing and ultrasonic speckle pattern shear interferometry to detect internal peeling, cracks, and damage. This inspection process is quite labor-intensive. Furthermore, if a tire accepted as a base tire fails these inspections, it must be discarded, incurring additional operational and financial burdens related to disposal.

[0010] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a tire condition assessment system, tire condition assessment device, tire condition assessment method, and storage medium that can reduce the inspection burden of the base tire.

[0011] Methods for solving problems

[0012] One aspect of this disclosure is a tire condition determination system configured to determine the condition of a base portion of a tire used in driving a vehicle. The tire condition determination system includes: an acquisition unit that acquires tire-related information that can affect the deterioration of the base portion; and a condition determination unit that determines the condition of the base portion based on the tire-related information.

[0013] Because of this configuration, when inspectors use this system to check the suitability of base tires for retreading, they can determine the condition of the tire's base material—the material used as a criterion for determining whether it can be used as a base tire—before conducting primary inspections such as visual inspection and palpation, and secondary inspections such as high-voltage testing and speckle pattern shear interferometry. As a result, inspectors can reduce their inspection workload and minimize unnecessary inspection costs by excluding tires in poor condition from the inspection list.

[0014] Furthermore, when a vehicle owner uses the system, the owner can know in advance the state of the base portion of the tires installed on the vehicle.

[0015] Invention Effects

[0016] According to this disclosure, the burden of appropriate inspections of the base tire can be reduced. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing the structure of the tire condition determination system.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle.

[0019] Figure 3 It is a block diagram showing the structure of the vehicle.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a block diagram showing the structure of the condition determination device in the tire condition determination system.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the suitability determination process performed by the tire condition determination system.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating another example of the suitability determination process performed by the tire condition determination system. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the embodiments described below are merely examples embodying the present disclosure and do not limit the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing the structure of a tire condition determination system 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as determination system 100) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Determination system 100 is an example of the tire condition determination system of the present disclosure, configured to determine the condition of the base portion of a tire 1 used in driving the vehicle 50, which corresponds to the base tire. Here, tire 1 is a so-called pneumatic tire. Furthermore, the base tire is obtained by removing a predetermined amount of tread rubber from a tire 1 that has been determined to have reached the end of its service life due to the appearance of tread wear indicators or the like on its surface, and is used as the base tire for retreading. The base portion is the part of tire 1 used as the base tire, that is, the portion other than the removed tread rubber.

[0025] [Structure of the Tire Condition Determination System 100]

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, the determination system 100 includes a state determination device 10 (an example of a tire state determination device of this disclosure), an information terminal 20, a database 30, and a communication device 40, which are connected in a manner that enables communication via a wired or wireless communication network. The communication network may be, for example, a wired communication network connected via a LAN, or a wireless communication network such as a dedicated line or public line.

[0027] The state determination device 10 is an element constituting the determination system 100. The state determination device 10 uses state data (an example of tire-related information in this disclosure) sent from the vehicle 50, a prescribed calculation formula (refer to formula (1) described later), etc., to perform the appropriate determination process described later (refer to...). Figure 5 The system determines the state of the base portion in tire 1, and further determines whether it can be used as a base tire based on the determination result, and outputs the determination result and determination result to external devices such as information terminal 20.

[0028] The status determination device 10 is an information processing device or server device capable of performing various arithmetic operations. Specifically, it is a computer such as a server computer, cloud server, or personal computer connected to the communication network. Furthermore, the status determination device 10 is not limited to a single computer; it can also be a computer system or cloud computing system in which multiple computers operate collaboratively. Moreover, the various processes performed by the status determination device 10 can be executed distributed among one or more processors. The status determination device 10 is equipped with programs or computer software for operating the determination system 100.

[0029] Information terminal 20 is an information processing device or terminal device used by the holder of tire 1, the object of the inspection, or by the person performing the inspection of the condition of tire 1. Information terminal 20 can be a desktop computer, laptop computer, or a portable mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet. Furthermore, information terminal 20 can also be an in-vehicle terminal or display device mounted on vehicle 50. Moreover, in the case of a so-called connected car with the function of an ICT terminal, vehicle 50 itself can also be regarded as information terminal 20.

[0030] The information terminal 20 includes a display unit such as a liquid crystal display. When the information terminal 20 receives a determination result output from the status determination device 10, it displays the determination result on the display screen of the display unit. Therefore, the information terminal 20 is equipped with a program or computer software that is used to cooperate with the determination system 100 to send the various information to the status determination device 10, or to display the determination result on the display screen.

[0031] Database 30 is a storage device such as an HDD (Hardware Disc Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive) that is communicatively connected to the communication network. Database 30 stores various data processed in the determination system 100. Database 30 can be configured as an external device such as another server device or other storage device capable of data communication with the status determination device 10. Alternatively, database 30 can also be a so-called cloud storage device connected via the Internet. Furthermore, database 30 can be a storage device installed on the status determination device 10, or it can be an external storage device connected to the status determination device 10 via a local area network.

[0032] The communication device 40 communicates with the vehicle 50 to receive status data (described later) output from the vehicle 50. Upon receiving the status data from the vehicle 50, the communication device 40 transmits the received status data to the status determination device 10. The communication device 40 includes an antenna 41. The antenna 41 is used to communicate with the communication unit 63 (see reference 63) of the control unit 60 of the vehicle 50. Figure 3 Wireless communication between the communication device 40 and the communication unit 63. When the vehicle 50 enters the communication range determined by a predetermined wireless communication standard, the communication device 40 is able to perform wireless communication between itself and the communication unit 63.

[0033] [Vehicle 50]

[0034] The following is for reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 The following describes vehicle 50 equipped with tire 1. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing an example of vehicle 50. Figure 3 This is a block diagram showing the structure of vehicle 50.

[0035] like Figure 2 As shown, vehicle 50 is, for example, a four-wheeled passenger vehicle with a total of four wheels, front and rear, each wheel equipped with a tire 1. In this embodiment, vehicle 50 is, for example, a front-engine, front-wheel-drive (FF) vehicle, where the tire 1F mounted on the front wheels is the driving tire, and the tire 1R mounted on the rear wheels is the driven tire. Furthermore, the driving method or steering method of vehicle 50 is not particularly limited; vehicle 50 may also have a different driving method than an FF vehicle, or a different steering method than a front-wheel steering method.

[0036] Furthermore, vehicle 50 is not limited to four-wheeled passenger cars, but can also be passenger cars other than four-wheeled vehicles, large vehicles such as trucks or buses, motorcycles, racing vehicles, industrial vehicles, special vehicles, and heavy-duty vehicles such as trailers or trolleys. Moreover, tire 1 is an inflatable tire used in these diverse vehicles. In this embodiment, an inflatable tire is shown as the tire 1 installed on vehicle 50, but tire 1 can be any type of tire, including non-air tires without compressed air, whose main component is rubber components (rubber materials) such as natural rubber (NR) or SBR (styrene-butadiene rubber), and can also be the object of judgment by the judgment system 100. Furthermore, tire 1 can be any tire whose main component is a rubber component used in the tire industry; the rubber component is not particularly limited.

[0037] like Figure 3 As shown, the vehicle 50 is equipped with various sensors, including a wheel speed sensor 51, a lateral acceleration sensor 52, a pressure sensor 53, a temperature sensor 54, a thickness sensor 55, a steering angle sensor 56, a brake sensor 57, and a tire tread sensor 58. Sensors 51 to 55 are fixed to the inner surface of the tire 1 via mounting components (not shown).

[0038] Wheel speed sensor 51 detects the wheel speed signal (rotation speed information) of the moving tire 1. Control unit 61 of control unit 60 calculates the rotational speed or rotational speed of tire 1 based on the wheel speed signal. Lateral acceleration sensor 52 detects the lateral acceleration applied to the moving tire 1. Pressure sensor 53 detects the air pressure filled in tire 1. Temperature sensor 54 detects the temperature of tire 1. Thickness sensor 55 detects the thickness of the tire tread (thickness from the crown to the surface). Two thickness sensors 55 are provided on the inner surface of each tire 1 and are installed at predetermined intervals along the width direction of tire 1. Each sensor 51 to 55 is connected to a transmitter (not shown) provided on tire 1, and the detection values ​​of each sensor 51 to 55 are transmitted to control unit 60 via the transmitter. Each sensor 51 to 55 can have any structure as long as it can output the detection value of the detected object or a signal representing its detection value, and there are no particular limitations on its installation position or detection method. In addition, when each sensor 51 to 55 is connected to the control unit 60 in a manner that enables communication via wireless or wired means, the detection value can also be sent individually from each sensor 51 to 55 to the control unit 60.

[0039] Steering angle sensor 56 detects the steering angle, which is the rotation angle of steering wheel 503. Steering angle sensor 56 is, for example, installed on the steering shaft of steering wheel 503. Steering angle sensor 56 is connected to control unit 60 via wireless or wired communication, and the steering angle (detected value) detected by steering angle sensor 56 is sent to control unit 60. Steering angle sensor 56 can have any structure as long as it can detect the steering angle of steering wheel 503, and there are no particular limitations on its installation location or detection method.

[0040] When the driver applies the brakes, the brake sensor 57 detects the presence or absence of the operation and the amount of pressure applied (operation amount). The brake sensor 57 can be, for example, a rotary encoder or potentiometer mounted on the brake pedal. The brake sensor 57 is connected to the control unit 60 via wireless or wired communication, transmitting the presence or absence of the operation (detection value) and the amount of pressure applied (detection value) detected by the brake sensor 57 to the control unit 60. The brake sensor 57 can have any structure as long as it can detect values ​​related to the braking operation, and there are no particular limitations on its installation location or detection method.

[0041] The tread sensor 58 detects information used to measure the presence and depth of grooves on the surface (tread) of the tire 1. For example, a scanning optical distance sensor installed on the inner surface of the tire house of the vehicle 50 can be used as the tread sensor 58. This optical distance sensor emits a laser beam that scans along the tire width direction onto the tread and receives reflected light reflected by the tread, thereby measuring the distance to the tread of the object being detected. Furthermore, the optical distance sensor generates and outputs tracking data obtained by tracking the concave-convex shape of the tread in the width direction, so the control unit 61 of the control unit 60 can determine the presence and depth of grooves on the tread based on the tracking data. Alternatively, a reflective light blocker (also called a light reflector) with multiple such blocks arranged along the width direction on the inner surface of the tire house can be used instead of the optical distance sensor. Furthermore, a camera that captures an image of the tread, a line sensor capable of detecting the shape in the tire width direction, or the like can be used instead of the optical distance sensor.

[0042] In addition, the vehicle 50 is equipped with an operation switch 59. The operation switch 59 is a switch component operated by the driver or others. When the operation switch 59 is activated, the operation signal is sent to the control unit 60.

[0043] Additionally, tire 1 is provided with a memory 67 (an example of the storage unit of this disclosure) storing identification information of tire 1. Memory 67 is a non-volatile storage device. The identification information is simply information that can distinguish tire 1 from other tires, and is an ID number assigned to each tire. Moreover, the identification information may include the tire 1's size, manufacturer, model, product name, manufacturing date, etc. When tire 1 is installed in vehicle 50, the identification information is sent to control unit 60 and stored in storage unit 62.

[0044] like Figure 3 As shown, the vehicle 50 is equipped with a control unit 60 for comprehensive control of the vehicle 50. The control unit 60 is an information processing device capable of performing various arithmetic operations. The control unit 60 includes a control unit 61, a storage unit 62, a communication unit 63, a GPS receiver 64, an output unit 65, and an input unit 66.

[0045] The communication unit 63 is a communication interface used to connect the control unit 60 to a specified communication network wirelessly, and to perform data communication with external devices such as the communication device 40 in accordance with a specified communication protocol via the communication network.

[0046] The GPS receiver 64 acquires the location information of the vehicle 50. The GPS receiver 64 receives signals from GPS satellites and performs further prescribed calculations to detect the vehicle 50's position on Earth. The detected location information is sent to the control unit 61 for calculations such as determining the vehicle 50's driving position and driving path.

[0047] Storage unit 62 is a non-volatile storage medium or storage device such as flash memory that stores various types of information. For example, storage unit 62 stores a control program for causing control unit 61 to perform various processes. The control program is stored in an external storage device such as a server device or external memory that can communicate with communication unit 63, and is read from the external storage device and copied to storage unit 62. Alternatively, the control program is not temporarily recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as CD (Compact Disc) or DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), and is read and copied to storage unit 62 by a reading device (not shown) electrically connected to control unit 60.

[0048] In addition, the storage unit 62 stores the detection values ​​or data sent from each of the sensors 51 to 58, various information (such as tire speed or driving speed) converted or generated based on the detection values ​​or data, information on the driving position of the vehicle 50 detected by the GPS receiver 64 (driving position information), and various information (such as movement path) converted or generated based on the driving position information.

[0049] The output unit 65 serves as an interface for the results of various processes performed by the output control unit 61. For example, the instrument unit 501 or display device 502 mounted on the vehicle 50 is connected to the output unit 65. The control unit 61 outputs speed information to the instrument unit 501, and outputs various information corresponding to display requests from the driver, etc., to the display device 502.

[0050] The input unit 66 is an interface that connects wirelessly or via wired to various sensors 51-58 and operation switches 59 installed on the vehicle 50. Signals output from sensors 51-58, operation switches 59, etc., are input to the input unit 66.

[0051] The control unit 61 includes control devices such as a CPU, ROM, and RAM. The CPU is a processor that performs various arithmetic operations. The ROM is a non-volatile memory that pre-stores control programs such as BIOS and OS for the CPU to perform various operations. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile memory that stores various information and is used as temporary storage memory (working area) for the various operations performed by the CPU. Furthermore, the control unit 61 uses the CPU to execute various control programs pre-stored in the ROM or storage unit 42, thereby performing the suitability determination process described later.

[0052] The control unit 61 includes various processing units such as a conversion processing unit 611 and a display processing unit 612. The control unit 61 utilizes the CPU to execute various processes according to the control program, thereby functioning as the various processing units. Alternatively, some or all of the processing units included in the control unit 61 may be constructed using electronic circuitry. Furthermore, the various processes described later by the conversion processing unit 61 may be executed by different processing units. Moreover, the control program may be a program for enabling multiple processors to function as the various processing units.

[0053] The conversion processing unit 611 performs the following processing: converting the detection values ​​or data input to the input unit 66 from various sensors 51 to 58 into state data related to the detection values ​​or data. Furthermore, the conversion processing unit 611 performs the following processing: generating state data related to the detection values ​​or data based on the detection values ​​or data. Here, the state data is an example of tire-related information disclosed in this invention, such as the rotational speed of tire 1 (tire speed), the driving speed of vehicle 50, the acceleration of vehicle 50, the lateral acceleration applied to tire 1, the tire pressure of tire 1 (tire pressure), the temperature of tire 1 (tire temperature), the groove depth of the tire tread of tire 1, the wear amount of the tire tread, the uneven wear amount of the tire tread, the steering angle of vehicle 50, the number of braking operations, and the amount of brake pedal application. This state data is information that may directly or indirectly affect the deterioration of the base portion of tire 1 during the driving of vehicle 50.

[0054] The tire rotation speed, the driving speed, and the acceleration can be converted or generated based on the detection value (wheel speed signal) of wheel speed sensor 51. The lateral acceleration can be converted or generated based on the detection value of lateral acceleration sensor 52. The tire pressure can be converted or generated based on the detection value of pressure sensor 53. The tire temperature can be converted or generated based on the detection value of temperature sensor 54.

[0055] The groove depth of the tread can be converted or generated based on the data output from the tread sensor 58.

[0056] The wear amount can be converted or generated based on the detection value of the thickness sensor 55. The uneven wear amount represents the degree of uneven wear on the tread of the tire 1. A specific example of the uneven wear amount is the difference in thickness between the two ends of the tread in the width direction, which can be converted or generated based on the difference in detection values ​​of a pair of thickness sensors 55 spaced apart in the width direction on the inner surface of the tire 1.

[0057] Furthermore, the uneven wear generated on tire 1 includes so-called unilateral wear (outer side wear, inner side wear), shoulder wear, center wear, toe-in wear, rear toe-in wear, localized wear, wavy wear, pitted wear, and sawtooth wear (heel and toe wear), etc. The presence and degree of these uneven wear patterns (undetermined wear amount) can be determined and measured by appropriately adjusting the number and position of the thickness sensors 55 installed on tire 1.

[0058] The steering angle can be converted or generated based on the detection value of the steering angle sensor 56. The number of braking cycles and the amount of brake pedal application can be converted or generated based on the detection value of the brake sensor 57.

[0059] The status data, including the aforementioned information, obtained by the conversion processing unit 611, is stored in the storage unit 62 according to the tire 1's identification information. Furthermore, the status data stored in the storage unit 62 is transmitted to the memory 67 of each tire 1, for example, when the vehicle 50 stops and the engine is turned off, and is also stored in the memory 67. Therefore, even if the tire 1 is removed from the vehicle 50 and installed as a used tire in another vehicle 50, the status data of the tire 1 can be reused in the other vehicle 50.

[0060] The tire rotation speed in the state data is accumulated and stored in the storage unit 62 as the cumulative rotation speed of tire 1 during the driving of vehicle 50. Furthermore, the driving speed is stored in the storage unit 62 as the average driving speed detected during driving (average speed). The acceleration is accumulated and stored in the storage unit 62 as the number of times over-acceleration exceeding a predetermined reference value occurs. The lateral acceleration is accumulated and stored in the storage unit 62 as the number of times excessive lateral acceleration exceeding a predetermined reference value (predetermined value) occurs (occurrence frequency). Regarding the tire temperature, the average temperature detected during driving (average temperature) is stored in the storage unit 62. The original values ​​of the wear amount and the uneven wear amount are stored in the storage unit 62. The steering angle is accumulated and stored in the storage unit 62 as the number of times over-steering angle exceeding a predetermined reference value (reference angle) occurs. The number of braking events is accumulated and stored in the storage unit 62 as a cumulative number. The pedal stroke is accumulated and stored in the storage unit 62 as the number of times excessive pedal stroke exceeding a predetermined reference value (over-pedaling).

[0061] The information (status data) stored in storage unit 62 is information that can affect the deterioration of the base portion of tire 1. Specifically, it is believed that the higher the values ​​of the aforementioned information (tire speed, average speed, etc.), the greater the load on tire 1, and the more it promotes the deterioration or wear of the base portion. Conversely, it is believed that the lower the values ​​of the aforementioned information, the smaller the load on tire 1, and the less likely the base portion is to deteriorate or wear. This information is used in the suitability determination process described later (see [reference]). Figure 5 ).

[0062] Furthermore, regarding the tire pressure in the aforementioned status data, the average value of the pressure detected during driving (average tire pressure) is stored in the storage unit 62. The average tire pressure is information that can affect the deterioration of the tire 1's base portion; it is believed that the lower the average tire pressure, the greater the load on the tire 1, and the more it promotes the deterioration or wear of the base portion. Conversely, the higher the average tire pressure, the more likely it is to be properly inflated, thus the lower the load on the tire 1, and the less likely the base portion is to deteriorate or wear. The average tire pressure is used in the suitability determination process described later (see [reference]). Figure 5 ).

[0063] Additionally, the original value of the groove depth in the state data is stored in the storage unit 62. The groove depth is information that can affect the deterioration of the base portion of the tire 1. It is believed that the smaller the value, the lower the grip performance of the tire 1, the greater the load on the tire 1, and the more it promotes the deterioration or wear of the base portion. Conversely, it is believed that the larger the groove depth value, the higher the grip performance of the tire 1, therefore the smaller the load on the tire 1, and the less likely the base portion is to deteriorate or wear. The groove depth is used in the suitability determination process described later (see [reference]). Figure 5 ).

[0064] Furthermore, under high driving loads, such as when the vehicle is traveling at high speed (50 km / h) or on roads with many curves, the tire temperature tends to rise. Moreover, if cracks occur inside the tire 1 (e.g., the carcass, crown, etc.) that are not visually observable, the tire temperature also tends to be higher than when no cracks have occurred. This is believed to be because, when the tread of the tire 1 contacts the ground in a state of internal cracking, the tire 1 deforms excessively, and this deformation repeats the recovery process when not in contact with the ground, thus causing a temperature increase compared to normal conditions.

[0065] Furthermore, the conversion processing unit 611, based on the location information of the vehicle 50 input from the GPS receiver 64 to the input unit 66, performs processing to generate a driving path for the vehicle 50 according to the location information and calculates the driving distance for each driving path. The driving path is included in the state data. For example, as information about the driving path, the driving distance for each type of driving path is considered. Specifically, as information about the driving path, the distance traveled on flat roads (flat road driving distance), the distance traveled on mountain roads (mountain road driving distance), the distance traveled on city roads (city driving distance), and the distance traveled on highways (highway driving distance), etc., are accumulated and stored in the storage unit 62. This information can also affect the deterioration of the base portion of the tire 1. That is, it is believed that the higher the ratio of the mountain road driving distance and the highway driving distance to the total driving distance traveled by the tire 1, the greater the load on the tire 1, and the more it promotes the deterioration or wear of the base portion. Conversely, it is believed that the higher the ratio of the flat road driving distance and the city driving distance, the smaller the load on the tire 1, and the less likely the base portion is to deteriorate or wear. This travel distance information is used for the suitability determination process described later (see reference). Figure 5 ).

[0066] The display processing unit 612 performs the processing of displaying various information on the display device 502. For example, when the result of the suitability determination process (described later) sent from the status determination device 10 is received, the display processing unit 612 can display the determination result on the display screen of the display device 502.

[0067] [Database 30]

[0068] The status data storage unit 31 is allocated as a storage area in the database 30. The status data obtained by the status determination device 10 from the vehicle 50 is stored separately in the status data storage unit 31 according to the identification information of the tire 1. Since the identification information is assigned to the tire 1, and the status data is stored in the status data storage unit 31 according to each identification information, even if the tire 1 is removed from the vehicle 50 and installed as a second-hand tire in another vehicle 50, the previous status data can be used and the status data can be updated with new status data.

[0069] [Status determination device 10]

[0070] The following is for reference Figure 4 The specific structure of the state determination device 10 will be described. Figure 4 This is a block diagram showing the structure of the state determination device 10.

[0071] The state determination device 10 is a device for implementing the determination system 100 of this embodiment, such as... Figure 4 As shown, it includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, a display unit 14, and an operation unit 15.

[0072] The communication unit 13 is a communication interface for connecting the status determination device 10 to the communication network and performing data communication with the information terminal 20 and the database 30 connected to the communication network in accordance with the prescribed communication protocol.

[0073] Storage unit 12 is a non-volatile storage medium such as HDD or SSD that stores various information. Storage unit 12 stores control programs for various processes executed by control unit 11, data or thresholds for various processes, reference values, and calculation formulas for calculating evaluation values ​​for suitable judgment processes (described later).

[0074] The evaluation value is an indicator for judging the condition of the base portion of tire 1, and is used to determine whether the base portion of tire 1 is in a condition suitable for use as a base tire. Let the evaluation value be S, the tire rotation speed be x1, the average speed be x2, the number of over-acceleration occurrences be x3, the number of excessive lateral acceleration occurrences be x4, the reciprocal of the average air pressure be x5, the average temperature be x6, the wear amount be x7, the uneven wear amount be x8, the number of over-steering angle occurrences be x9, and the number of braking occurrences be x. 10 The number of times the over-trampling occurs is x. 11 The reciprocal of the groove depth of tire 1 is x 12 Furthermore, when the evaluation value (hereinafter referred to as the benchmark evaluation value) of the new tire 1 is S0, the evaluation value S can be calculated using the values ​​of the above-mentioned state data through the following formula (1).

[0075] Formula 1

[0076]

[0077] Here, the coefficient t in equation (1) k (t1, t2, t3, ..., t 12 ) is the value x assigned to the state data. k (x1, x2, x3, ..., x 12 The weighting coefficients on the x-axis are based on the importance placed on each value x. kThe coefficient h is determined based on which of the following factors. Furthermore, the coefficient h is a weighted coefficient used based on the driving path traveled by tire 1. For example, if the ratio of the mountain road driving distance and the highway driving distance to the total driving distance is higher than a reference distance, the coefficient h is set to a value greater than 1, determined based on the difference (excess amount) from the reference distance. When using coefficient h, the evaluation value S is larger than when coefficient h is not used. Furthermore, if the ratio of the flat road driving distance and the city driving distance to the total driving distance is higher than a reference value, the coefficient h is set to a value less than 1, determined based on the difference (excess amount) from the reference distance. In this case, the evaluation value S is smaller than when coefficient h is not used. Additionally, if the ratio of the mountain road driving distance and the highway driving distance is less than the reference distance, and the ratio of the flat road driving distance and the city driving distance is less than the reference distance, the coefficient h is set to "1".

[0078] Based on the above calculation formula, it can be understood that the evaluation value S is the benchmark evaluation value S0 minus the numerical value t. k x k The value S is obtained by summing the values. Therefore, it is believed that the smaller the evaluation value S, the greater the load applied to tire 1 during driving, and the higher the possibility of peeling, cracking, or damage to the base portion of tire 1. Furthermore, it is believed that the larger the evaluation value S, the smaller the load applied to tire 1 during driving, and the lower the possibility of peeling, cracking, or damage to the base portion of tire 1. In other words, the evaluation value S is an indicator of the degree of condition of the base portion of tire 1; a larger value indicates that deterioration has not occurred, representing a good condition, while a smaller value indicates that deterioration is in progress, representing a poor condition.

[0079] Display unit 14 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) that displays various information. Operation unit 15 is an input device such as a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel that receives operations from the operator.

[0080] The control unit 11 controls the state determination device 10. The control unit 11 includes control devices such as a CPU, ROM, and RAM. The CPU is a processor that performs various arithmetic operations. The ROM is a non-volatile storage medium that pre-stores control programs such as BIOS and OS for enabling the CPU to perform various arithmetic operations. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage medium that stores various information and is used as a temporary storage memory (working area) for the various arithmetic operations performed by the CPU. Furthermore, the control unit 11 uses the CPU to execute various control programs pre-stored in the ROM or storage unit 12, thereby controlling the state determination device 10.

[0081] like Figure 4As shown, the control unit 11 includes various processing units such as a status data acquisition unit 111 (an example of the acquisition unit of this disclosure), a recording processing unit 112 (an example of the recording unit of this disclosure), a status determination processing unit 113 (an example of the status determination unit of this disclosure), a suitability determination unit 114 (an example of the first determination unit of this disclosure), a value determination unit 116 (an example of the second determination unit of this disclosure), and an output processing unit 115. The control unit 11 functions as the various processing units by performing various arithmetic operations according to the control program through the CPU. The control unit 11 or the CPU is an example of a computer or processor that executes the control program. In addition, some or all of the processing units included in the control unit 11 may also be composed of electronic circuits. Moreover, the control program may be a program for enabling multiple processors to function as the various processing units.

[0082] The status data acquisition unit 111 processes the acquisition of status data that could affect the deterioration of the base portion of the tire 1. Specifically, when establishing communication between the communication device 40 and the vehicle 50, the status data acquisition unit 111 processes the acquisition of the status data from the vehicle 50. Furthermore, the status data acquisition unit 111 processes the acquisition of the identification information of the tire 1 from the vehicle 50. In this embodiment, the status data acquisition unit 111 sends a data acquisition request to the vehicle 50. Upon receiving the data acquisition request, the control unit 61 of the vehicle 50 reads the identification information and the status data corresponding to the identification information from the storage unit 62 according to the data acquisition request, and sends them to the status determination device 10.

[0083] The recording processing unit 112 records the status data acquired by the status data acquisition unit 111 into the status data storage unit 31 (storage medium) of the database 30. Specifically, if there is no status data corresponding to the identification information in the status data storage unit 31, the recording processing unit 112 saves the status data and the identification information together in the status data storage unit 31 while associating the status data with the identification information. Moreover, if there is status data corresponding to the identification information in the status data storage unit 31, the recording processing unit 112 updates the status data corresponding to the identification information using the status data acquired by the status data acquisition unit 111.

[0084] The state determination processing unit 113 performs processing to determine the state of the base portion of the tire 1 based on the state data acquired by the state data acquisition unit 111. In this embodiment, the state determination processing unit 113 calculates the evaluation value S as a determination result based on the state data, whereby the evaluation value S represents the degree of state of the base portion of the tire 1 corresponding to the identification information. Specifically, the state determination processing unit 113 processes the state data using various numerical values, predetermined coefficients h and t. k The evaluation value S is calculated by applying the calculation formula shown in equation (1).

[0085] As described above, the smaller the evaluation value S, the higher the likelihood of peeling, cracking, or damage to the base portion of tire 1; conversely, the larger the evaluation value S, the lower the likelihood of peeling, cracking, or damage to the base portion of tire 1. Therefore, the evaluation value S represents the degree of condition of the base portion of tire 1; in other words, it is an indicator of the quality of the base portion's condition.

[0086] The suitability determination unit 114 performs a process based on the determination result of the state determination processing unit 113 to determine whether the base portion of the tire 1 can be used as a base tire for retreading. In this embodiment, if the evaluation value S is above a predetermined threshold, the suitability determination unit 114 determines that it can be used as the base tire. Furthermore, if the evaluation value S is below the threshold, the suitability determination unit 114 determines that it cannot be used as the base tire.

[0087] The threshold can be set to the largest value of the evaluation value S among the multiple tires 1 that have completed one lifespan and are inspected in the usual manner, and whose inspection results are judged to be good (that is, tires 1 that are judged to be suitable as base tires).

[0088] The value determination unit 116 performs a process to determine the value of tire 1 as a base tire based on the determination result of the state determination processing unit 113. If the suitability determination unit 114 determines that the base portion of tire 1 can be used as a base tire for retreading, this determination process is performed on tire 1. In this embodiment, the value determination unit 116 determines the value based on the evaluation value S calculated by the state determination processing unit 113.

[0089] The value determined by the value determination unit 116 may be, for example, the market value of the base tire, taking into account the purchase price, sales price, etc. Alternatively, the value may be an indicator corresponding to price information such as the purchase price and the sales price.

[0090] When the value is the market price, the value determination unit 116 can calculate it by multiplying the new product price of tire 1 by the ratio corresponding to the evaluation value S. Furthermore, the new product prices of various tires 1 can be obtained using prices pre-stored in the storage unit 12 or database 30, or from a sales website operated by the tire sales company on the internet.

[0091] In addition, when the value is the indicator, the value determination unit 116 may also set the benchmark score of the new tire 1 to 100 points, and calculate the relative score corresponding to the evaluation value S by multiplying the benchmark score by the ratio corresponding to the evaluation value.

[0092] The output processing unit 115 processes the output of the results of various processes performed in the determination system 100. In this embodiment, the output processing unit 115 processes the output of the evaluation value S calculated by the state determination processing unit 113, the determination result (suitability) determined by the suitability determination unit 114, or the determination result (evaluation as a base tire) determined by the value determination unit 116. In this embodiment, the output processing unit 115 processes the output of the evaluation value S and the determination result on the display unit 14. Furthermore, when there is a transmission request from the vehicle 50 or the information terminal 20, the output processing unit 115 can also output the evaluation value S and the determination result to the vehicle 50 or the information terminal 20 according to the transmission request. Moreover, when there is a transmission request from a sales website on the Internet, the output processing unit 115 can also output to the sales website, the transmission source, according to the transmission request.

[0093] [Suitable for judgment and processing]

[0094] The following is for reference Figure 5 The tire condition determination method of this disclosure will be described together with a flowchart and an example of the suitability determination process performed in the determination system 100. Hereinafter, the suitability determination process performed by the control unit 11 of the condition determination device 10 will be described. Here, the suitability determination process includes processing that calculates the determination result of the condition of the base portion of the tire 1 to be inspected as the evaluation value S, and processing that determines whether the base portion can be used as a base tire based on the evaluation value S.

[0095] like Figure 5As shown, in step S101, the control unit 11 of the status determination device 10 determines whether a determination request has been input. Here, the determination request is a command signal input by a user operating the status determination device 10 via the operation unit 15. Alternatively, the determination request can also be input to the status determination device 10 from the information terminal 20 operated by the user. Moreover, it can also be input from the vehicle 50 to the status determination device 10 by a user riding in the vehicle 50 operating the in-vehicle terminal.

[0096] Upon receiving the determination request, the control unit 11 determines whether communication between the communication device 40 and the vehicle 50 has been established (S102). If the communication with the vehicle 50 is established, the control unit 11 sends the data acquisition request to the vehicle 50 (S103). The data acquisition request is an instruction signal used to request the transmission of the status data. Upon receiving the data acquisition request, the control unit 61 of the vehicle 50 reads the identification information and the status data from the storage unit 62 and sends them to the status determination device 10. Furthermore, steps S102 and S103 are an example of the acquisition steps of this disclosure.

[0097] In step S104, upon receiving the identification information and the status data sent from vehicle 50, control unit 11 performs a process (S105) to calculate the evaluation value S using the calculation formula shown in equation (1) and the status data. Step S105 is an example of the status determination step of this disclosure.

[0098] In the next step S106, the control unit 11 determines whether the base portion of the tire 1 can be used as a base tire based on the evaluation value S calculated in step S105. Specifically, it determines whether the evaluation value S is above a predetermined threshold. If the evaluation value S is above the threshold, the control unit 11 determines that the base portion of the tire 1 is suitable as a base tire (S106 "Yes"). In this case, in the next step S107, the control unit 11 determines the value of the tire 1 as a base tire. The value determined here is, for example, the purchase price of the tire 1 as a base tire, a rating or grade indicating the degree of excellence, etc. Then, the control unit 11 outputs this value information, the suitability information indicating suitability, and the evaluation value S to the display unit 14 and displays it on the display unit 14 (S108). On the other hand, if the evaluation value S is less than the threshold, the control unit 11 determines that the base portion of the tire 1 is not suitable as a base tire (S106 "No"). In this case, the unsuitability information indicating unsuitability and the evaluation value S are output to the display unit 14 and displayed on the display unit 14 (S109).

[0099] Furthermore, when the source of the determination request is vehicle 50, control unit 11 can also send value information, determination result, and evaluation value S to vehicle 50. Moreover, when the source of the determination request is information terminal 20, control unit 11 can also send value information, determination result, and evaluation value S to information terminal 20. Furthermore, when the source of the determination request is a sales website on the internet, control unit 11 can also send value information, determination result, and evaluation value S to the sales website that is the transmission source.

[0100] Furthermore, upon receiving a request to transmit the judgment result and the evaluation value S (S110), the control unit 11 sends the value information, judgment result, evaluation value S, and other information to the requesting source of the transmission request (S111), thereby ending a series of processes. Moreover, if the transmission request is not received, the series of processes ends after the output processing in step S108 or step 109.

[0101] As another example of suitable decision processing performed in decision system 100, it can also be based on Figure 6 The flowchart shown illustrates the process for performing each step. For example, steps S101 to S103 are performed as described above. In the subsequent step S104, upon obtaining the identification information and the status data, the control unit 11 determines in step S121 whether there is a groove in the tread of tire 1. The determination process in step S121 is based on the groove depth information contained in the status data. Specifically, if the groove depth is zero or a value that can be evaluated as zero, the control unit 11 determines that there is no groove in the tread of tire 1.

[0102] When vehicle 50 is traveling without the grooves in the tread of tire 1, excessive load is applied to tire 1, thus increasing the likelihood of damage to the base portion of tire 1. Therefore, if it is determined that the grooves in the tread of tire 1 are absent, control unit 11 does not perform the processing steps below S105, determines that the base portion of tire 1 is unsuitable as a base tire, and transfers the processing to step S109 (see...). Figure 5 On the other hand, if it is determined in step S121 that there is a slot, the control unit 11 transfers the processing to step S105 and performs the processing after step S105.

[0103] Furthermore, if a camera is installed on the inner surface of the tire chamber of vehicle 50 to capture images of the tread of tire 1, for example, the control unit 11 can acquire the image data captured by the camera along with the status data, and determine whether a foreign object such as a nail or metal piece is embedded in the tread of tire 1 based on the image data. If such a foreign object is embedded, the damage to the base portion of tire 1 is also significant, making the base portion of tire 1 unsuitable as a base tire. Therefore, if it is determined that a foreign object is embedded in the tread of tire 1, the control unit 11 may skip the processing steps below S105 and transfer the processing to step S109 (see reference). Figure 5 ).

[0104] As explained above, in the determination system 100 of this embodiment, the evaluation value S, representing the state of the base portion, is calculated based on the state data containing various information that can affect the deterioration of the base portion of the tire 1. Therefore, when an inspector checks the suitability of a base tire for retreading using the determination system 100, the state (evaluation value S) of the base portion of the tire 1, which is a determination material for whether it can be used as a base tire, can be known in advance before performing primary inspections such as visual inspection and palpation inspection, and secondary inspections such as high-voltage inspection and speckle pattern shear interferometry inspection. As a result, the inspector can reduce the inspection burden and suppress unnecessary inspection costs by excluding tires 1 in poor condition from the inspection targets.

[0105] Furthermore, when the owner of vehicle 50 uses the determination system 100, the owner can know in advance the state of the base portion of the tire 1 installed on vehicle 50.

[0106] Furthermore, in the determination system 100, the suitability determination unit 114 determines whether the base portion of the tire 1 can be used as a base tire based on the evaluation value S, which is the determination result. Therefore, the user of this system does not need to determine the suitability as a base tire themselves.

[0107] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the state determination processing unit 113 uses the tire rotation speed x1, the average speed x2, the number of times over-acceleration occurs x3, the number of times excessive lateral acceleration occurs x4, the reciprocal of the average air pressure x5, the average temperature x6, the wear amount x7, the uneven wear amount x8, the number of times over-steering angle occurs x9, and the number of braking times x1. 10 The number of times the over-trampling occurred, x 11 The reciprocal of the groove depth x 12 coefficient t kThe example of calculating the evaluation value S using the coefficient h, the benchmark evaluation value S0, and the calculation formula of equation (1) has been described, but this disclosure is not limited to such a calculation example. For example, the benchmark evaluation value S0 and the values ​​x of the above items can also be used. k The evaluation value S can be calculated using any one or more of the following. Furthermore, the coefficient t can also be omitted. k And the coefficient h, subtract each value x from the benchmark evaluation value S0. k The sum of these values ​​is used as the evaluation value S. Alternatively, the benchmark evaluation value S0 can be omitted, and each value x can be used as the sum of the values ​​x. k The reciprocal of the sum of these values ​​is taken as the evaluation value S.

[0108] Furthermore, if the memory 67 of tire 1 stores the number of past retreadings, the status data may also include the number of retreadings. In this case, the status determination processing unit 113 considers the number of retreadings to calculate the evaluation value S. For example, if tire 1 is a retreaded tire and the number of past retreadings is stored in the memory 67, a weighting coefficient corresponding to that number can be set, and this weighting coefficient can be multiplied by the values ​​x on the right side of equation (1). k The evaluation value S is calculated by summing the values ​​of each element. It is believed that the more times a tire is retreaded, the greater the burden on the tire 1, and the more easily the base material deteriorates. Therefore, the weighting factor in this case is set to a value greater than 1, determined based on the number of retreading cycles.

[0109] In addition, as the state data, besides the aforementioned values ​​x k In addition to the information, road surface information (road surface condition) indicating the condition of the road surface on which the vehicle 50 is traveling, the weather at the time of travel, the temperature at the time of travel, and the load applied to the tire 1 at the time of travel can also be used.

[0110] The road surface information includes, for example, indicators such as the degree of unevenness of the road surface that can affect the wear of the tread of tire 1. The condition of the road surface on which vehicle 50 travels varies depending on the paving method. For example, paving materials used on the road surface include asphalt, concrete, concrete blocks, ceramic tiles, natural stone, gravel, wood chips, wood blocks, and soil, each with varying degrees of influence on tread wear. Furthermore, even paving materials within the same system can have different particle sizes depending on their purpose or application, and the added mixtures also differ, thus affecting tread wear differently. For example, it is believed that the higher the unevenness of the road surface, the easier the tread wears, and the easier the base layer deteriorates. Conversely, it is believed that the lower the unevenness of the road surface, the less likely the tread wears, and the less likely the base layer deteriorates. This road surface information can be obtained by the control unit 11 based on road surface images captured by a camera mounted on vehicle 50. For example, the control unit 11 can determine the road surface condition by performing image processing on the road surface image, and select the index corresponding to the determined road surface condition from table data containing the pre-determined indexes corresponding to various road surface conditions, thereby obtaining the road surface information.

[0111] Regarding the weather and temperature during driving, weather and temperature information for the driving location can be obtained from a designated web site via the internet. For example, it is believed that the better the weather, the more ultraviolet radiation reaches the ground surface, and therefore the base layer is more prone to deterioration due to ultraviolet radiation; the worse the weather, the less ultraviolet radiation, and therefore ultraviolet-induced deterioration of the base layer is suppressed. Furthermore, it is believed that the higher the temperature, the easier it is for the tire 1 to reach a high temperature, and the more wear is promoted, thus the more prone the base layer is to deterioration; the lower the temperature, the less likely the tire 1 is to reach a high temperature, and the less likely wear is to be promoted, thus the less prone the base layer is to deteriorate.

[0112] Furthermore, regarding the load applied to tire 1, for example, a strain sensor can be installed on the inner surface of tire 1. Based on the output signal of the strain sensor, the contact area is measured from the time the strain sensor touches the ground until it leaves the ground (contact time). The load is then estimated based on the contact area, air pressure, and the weight of vehicle 50. For example, it is believed that the larger the load, the more easily the base portion deteriorates, and the smaller the load, the less easily the base portion deteriorates.

[0113] Furthermore, if the manufacturing date of tire 1 is stored in memory 67, the number of years elapsed since the manufacturing date of tire 1 can also be included in the status data, and the evaluation value S can be calculated using the formula (1). That is, a weighting coefficient corresponding to the number of years elapsed can be set, and this weighting coefficient can be applied to the formula (1) to calculate the evaluation value S. Moreover, if there is an error between the distance traveled calculated based on the location information from GPS receiver 64 and the distance traveled based on the rotational speed of tire 1, it is considered that the larger the error, the smaller the outer diameter of tire 1 is compared to a predetermined size during driving, and the more likely tire 1 is to be damaged. Therefore, the error can also be included in the status data, and the evaluation value S can be calculated using the formula (1). That is, a weighting coefficient corresponding to the error can also be set, and this weighting coefficient can be applied to the formula (1) to calculate the evaluation value S.

[0114] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was described of acquiring state data containing various information that could affect the deterioration of the base portion of the tire 1 and calculating the evaluation value S representing the state of the base portion based on the state data. However, for example, the evaluation value S could also be calculated by considering various factors such as the outline of the tire 1 (information representing the outline of the tire 1), tire structure, tread pattern, material of the tire 1, and information on the fit of each material. Moreover, the evaluation value S could also be calculated by considering the drive mode of the vehicle 50 (FF, FR, 4WD, etc.). Moreover, the evaluation value S could also be calculated by considering the wheel alignment adjustment value. Specifically, weighting coefficients corresponding to each of the above factors could be determined, and these weighting coefficients could be applied to the above formula (1) to calculate the evaluation value S. In addition, the information, values, weighting coefficients, etc. representing the above factors are pre-stored in the memory 67 of the tire 1, the storage unit 12 of the state determination device 10, etc.

[0115] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the state data acquisition unit 111, recording processing unit 112, state determination processing unit 113, suitability determination unit 114, value determination unit 116, and output processing unit 115 are illustrated as being implemented by the control unit 11 of the state determination device 10. However, all or part of these processing units can also be implemented by the control unit 61 of the control unit 60 of the vehicle 50, the processor in the on-board terminal of the vehicle 50, or the control unit of the information terminal 20. That is to say, Figure 5 The processing of each step in the flowchart shown can be executed by any one of the state determination device 10, the vehicle 50, and the information terminal 20. Furthermore, the conversion processing unit 611, which is implemented by the control unit 61 of the control unit 60, can also be implemented by the control unit 11 of the state determination device 10 or the control unit of the information terminal 20.

[0116] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example of determining the suitability of tire 1 as a base tire by judging the state of the base portion of tire 1 installed on vehicle 50 has been described, but this disclosure is not limited to this structure. For example, when tire 1 removed from vehicle 50 is brought to an inspection station, the evaluation value S can also be calculated as the state of tire 1, thereby determining its suitability or value as a base tire. In this case, the memory 67 provided on tire 1 is a storage device capable of being read and written in a contactless manner corresponding to RFID, and the communication device 40 is preferably a reader / writer capable of communicating with the storage device. Thus, the communication device 40 reads the identification information and the state data in the memory 67 and imports them into the state determination device 10 at the inspection station, enabling the execution of the above-described processes.

[0117] Furthermore, the calculation example of using the formula (1) to calculate the evaluation value S is only one example. Hereinafter, other processing examples based on the state determination processing unit 113 will be described. The state determination processing unit 113 can also use a determination model constructed based on pre-prepared teacher data to calculate the evaluation value of tire 1. Here, the teacher data is information used to generate the determination model, which is stored in the storage area allocated to the database 30. Moreover, the determination model is stored in the storage unit 12 of the state determination device 10.

[0118] The teacher data is a data set containing numerical values ​​of the status data and evaluation scores. The status data is data on the cracking and damage of multiple used tires 1 (second-hand tires) that are causally related to the tires 1. The evaluation score is obtained by the inspector evaluating the results of the inspection conducted by the inspector in the past.

[0119] The determination model is a learned model used for state determination processing in the state determination processing unit 113, which calculates an evaluation value representing the state of the base portion of the tire 1, which is the object of determination. When the state data of the tire 1 is input to the input unit, the determination model determines the evaluation value representing the state of the base portion and outputs the evaluation value from the output unit. Furthermore, the determination model is generated by machine learning in the control unit 11 based on the teacher data stored in the database 30 and a prescribed algorithm.

[0120] When calculating the evaluation value using the aforementioned determination model, the state data can be, for example, historical information of detection values ​​detected by each sensor 51-58 during the driving of the vehicle 50, such as historical data on the rotational speed of the tire 1, historical data on the lateral acceleration, historical data on the tire pressure of the tire 1, historical data on the temperature of the tire 1, historical data on the wear of the tread, historical data on the steering angle, and historical data on the amount of braking force applied. Furthermore, various historical data can also be used, such as historical data on the driving position determined by the GPS receiver 64, historical data on the driving speed or acceleration of the vehicle 50, retreading history, the number of years since the tire 1 was manufactured, and manufacturer information.

[0121] By using such a determination model to calculate the evaluation value, the accuracy of the evaluation value is further improved, and as a result, the accuracy of the determination processing suitable for determination unit 114 is further improved.

[0122] The embodiments of this disclosure described above include the following disclosure items (1) to (13).

[0123] This disclosure (1) is a tire condition determination system configured to determine the condition of the base portion of a tire used in driving a vehicle. The tire condition determination system includes: an acquisition unit that acquires tire-related information that can affect the deterioration of the base portion; and a condition determination unit that determines the condition of the base portion based on the tire-related information.

[0124] Because of this configuration, when inspectors use this tire condition assessment system to check the suitability of base tires for retreading, they can determine the condition of the tire's base material—the material used as a base tire—before conducting primary inspections such as visual inspection and palpation, and secondary inspections such as high-voltage testing and speckle pattern shear interferometry. This allows inspectors to reduce their workload and minimize unnecessary inspection costs by excluding tires in poor condition from the inspection list.

[0125] Furthermore, when a vehicle owner uses the tire condition determination system, the owner can know in advance the condition of the base portion of the tire installed on the vehicle.

[0126] Regarding this disclosure (2), in the tire condition determination system of this disclosure (1), the tire-related information includes at least one or more of the following: tire pressure, tire temperature, tire rotation speed, tire acceleration, frequency at which the tire generates acceleration exceeding a specified value, tire wear, vehicle speed, vehicle acceleration, vehicle steering angle, number of braking operations, brake operation amount, vehicle travel path, vehicle travel distance, road surface information indicating the condition of the road surface, weather during driving, air temperature during driving, load applied to the tire during driving, and tread wear.

[0127] When the tire-related information includes the aforementioned multiple pieces of information, the accuracy of the state determination unit in determining the state can be improved.

[0128] Regarding this disclosure (3), in this disclosure (2), the acquisition unit acquires the degree of uneven wear of the tire. In this case, the state determination unit determines the state of the base portion based on the degree of uneven wear.

[0129] In this way, since the state of the base portion is determined by taking into account the degree of wear, the accuracy of the state determination unit in determining the state can be further improved.

[0130] Regarding this disclosure (4), in disclosure (2) or (3), the acquisition unit acquires the travel distance for each type of the travel path. In this case, the state determination unit determines the state of the base unit based on the travel distance for each type of the travel path.

[0131] In this way, since the state of the base part is determined by taking into account the travel distance of each type of travel path, the accuracy of the state determination unit in determining the state can be further improved.

[0132] Regarding this disclosure (5), in any one of the tire condition determination systems of this disclosure (1) to (4), there is also a first determination unit, which determines whether the base portion can be used as the base tire based on the determination result of the condition determination unit.

[0133] Therefore, users of this tire condition assessment system do not need to determine the suitability of the base tire themselves.

[0134] Regarding this disclosure (6), in the tire condition determination system of this disclosure (5), the condition determination unit calculates an evaluation value representing the condition of the base portion as a determination result based on the tire-related information. In this case, if the evaluation value is above a predetermined threshold, the first determination unit determines that it can be used as the base tire; if the evaluation value is below the threshold, the first determination unit determines that it cannot be used as the base tire.

[0135] Regarding this disclosure (7), in the tire condition determination system of this disclosure (6), the tire has a storage unit that stores the tire's identification information. In this case, the acquisition unit acquires the tire-related information together with the identification information, and the condition determination unit calculates the evaluation value of the tire corresponding to the identification information.

[0136] Regarding this disclosure (8), the tire condition determination system of this disclosure (7) further includes a recording unit that performs processing to record the tire-related information in association with the identification information on a predetermined storage medium.

[0137] Therefore, for example, even if a tire is removed from a vehicle and installed on another vehicle as a used tire for continued use, the tire-related information from when it was installed on the previous vehicle can be retained. Thus, even if the tire is used in the next vehicle, the tire-related information from the previous use can be reused.

[0138] Regarding this disclosure (9), in any one of the tire condition determination systems of this disclosure (5) to (8), there is also a second determination unit, which determines the value of the tire as the base tire based on the determination result of the condition determination unit when the base part is determined by the first determination unit to be usable as the base tire.

[0139] The value is, for example, the market value of the tire as a base tire, which is the purchase price, the selling price, or an indicator corresponding to these price information. Because the value is determined in this way, the value information representing the value can be easily grasped by stakeholders who deal with the tire (e.g., tire owners, tire sales intermediaries, etc.).

[0140] Regarding this disclosure (10), any one of the tire condition determination systems of this disclosure (1) to (9) further includes an output processing unit, which performs processing to output the determination result of the condition determination unit or output a calculation result calculated based on the determination result. The output processing unit, for example, outputs the determination result, the determination result of the first determination unit, and the determination result of the second determination unit to a terminal device or display device within the tire condition determination system, or to an external device or external system connected to the tire condition determination system via a communication network.

[0141] This disclosure (11) is a tire condition determination device configured to determine the condition of the base portion of a tire used in driving a vehicle. The tire condition determination device includes: an acquisition unit that acquires tire-related information that can affect the deterioration of the base portion; and a condition determination unit that determines the condition of the base portion based on the tire-related information.

[0142] This disclosure (12) is a tire condition determination method for determining the condition of the base portion of a tire used in driving a vehicle. The tire condition determination method includes: an acquisition step of acquiring tire-related information that can affect the deterioration of the base portion; and a condition determination step of determining the condition of the base portion based on the tire-related information.

[0143] This disclosure (13) is a program for determining the state of a base portion of a tire used in the operation of a vehicle, the program being a program for causing one or more processors to execute the steps of the tire state determination method, or a computer-readable recording medium for non-transitory recording of such a program. The program is used to cause one or more processors to perform the following steps: an acquisition step, acquiring tire-related information that can affect the deterioration of the base portion; and a state determination step, determining the state of the base portion based on the tire-related information.

Claims

1. A tire condition determination system for determining the condition of a base portion of a tire used in the operation of a vehicle, wherein, This tire condition assessment system has the following features: The acquisition unit acquires tire-related information that can affect the deterioration of the substrate; and The state determination unit determines the state of the base portion based on the tire-related information. The tire condition determination system also includes a first determination unit, which determines whether the base portion can be used as the base tire based on the determination result of the condition determination unit. The state determination unit calculates an evaluation value representing the state of the base portion based on the tire-related information, and uses this value as the determination result. The base portion is the part other than the tread rubber that has been removed. Let the evaluation value be S, the tire rotation speed be x1, the average speed be x2, the number of times the vehicle experiences over-acceleration be x3, the number of times the tire experiences excessive lateral acceleration be x4, the reciprocal of the average tire pressure be x5, the average tire temperature be x6, the tread wear be x7, the tread wear be x8, the number of times the vehicle experiences oversteering angle be x9, and the number of times the vehicle brakes be x. 10 The number of times the brake is over-pressed is x. 11 The reciprocal of the groove depth of the tire tread is x. 12 Furthermore, if the evaluation value of the new tire is S0, the evaluation value S is calculated using the following formula (1). Here, the coefficient t in equation (1) k It is the value x assigned to the state data. k The weighting coefficients are based on the importance placed on each value x. k The coefficient is determined by which one of the following, and the coefficient h is a weighting factor used based on the driving path traveled by the tires.

2. The tire condition determination system according to claim 1, wherein, The tire-related information includes at least one or more of the following: tire pressure, tire temperature, tire rotation speed, tire acceleration, frequency at which the tire produces acceleration exceeding a specified value, tire wear, vehicle speed, vehicle acceleration, vehicle steering angle, number of braking actions, brake operation amount, vehicle travel path, vehicle travel distance, road surface information indicating the condition of the road surface, weather conditions during driving, air temperature during driving, load applied to the tire during driving, and number of retreading operations.

3. The tire condition determination system according to claim 2, wherein, The acquisition unit acquires the degree of uneven wear of the tire. The state determination unit determines the state of the base portion based on the degree of wear.

4. The tire condition determination system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, The acquisition unit acquires the driving distance for each type of driving path. The state determination unit determines the state of the base unit based on the travel distance of each type of travel path.

5. The tire condition determination system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, If the evaluation value S is above a predetermined threshold, the first determination unit determines that it can be used as the base tire; if the evaluation value S is less than the threshold, the first determination unit determines that it cannot be used as the base tire.

6. The tire condition determination system according to claim 5, wherein, The tire also has a storage compartment that stores the tire's identification information. The acquisition unit acquires the tire-related information together with the identification information. The state determination unit calculates the evaluation value S of the tire corresponding to the identification information.

7. The tire condition determination system according to claim 6, wherein, The tire condition determination system also includes a recording unit, which performs the process of recording the tire-related information in association with the identification information on a specified storage medium.

8. The tire condition determination system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The tire condition determination system further includes a second determination unit, which determines the value of the tire as the base tire based on the determination result of the condition determination unit when the base part is determined by the first determination unit to be usable as the base tire.

9. The tire condition determination system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The tire condition determination system also includes an output processing unit, which performs processing to output the determination result of the condition determination unit or output the calculation result calculated based on the determination result.

10. A tire condition determination method, comprising using the tire condition determination system of claim 1 to determine the condition of the base portion of a tire used in driving a vehicle, corresponding to the base tire, wherein, The tire condition determination method includes: The acquisition step involves acquiring tire-related information that can affect the deterioration of the base portion; as well as The state determination step determines the state of the base portion based on the tire-related information.

11. A storage medium storing a program for determining the state of a base portion of a tire used in driving a vehicle, corresponding to the base tire, using the tire condition determination system of claim 1, wherein, The program is used to cause one or more processors to perform the following steps: The acquisition step involves acquiring tire-related information that can affect the deterioration of the base portion; as well as The state determination step determines the state of the base portion based on the tire-related information.

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