Tire observation sensor system and method for wheel well positioning for determining tire health and safety

Abstract

The invention relates to a tire observation sensor system and method for wheel well positioning for determining tire health and safety. Various methods of determining tire health and safety using a tire observation sensor system secured to a wheel well of a vehicle are disclosed. The system can assess and monitor tire health based on an exterior view of the tire using one or more sensing elements. The system may also include a wireless power transfer mechanism for powering sensors inside the tire and / or a wireless communication mechanism for communicating with other sensors. The tire health condition may be determined based, at least in part, on an analysis of sensor data obtained from the system and additional sensor data from sensors inside the tire and / or other locations on the vehicle. Where the tire health is below a predefined threshold, an alert may be generated. For tire safety, the system may detect and record maintenance events and unauthorized tire disassembly.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a tire observation sensor system and method for determining tire health and safety of a wheel well positioning. BACKGROUND

[0002] During the manufacturing process of pneumatic tires, the tire is typically formed on a drum of a tire building machine, which is referred to in the art as a tire building drum. Numerous tire components are sequentially wrapped and / or applied to the drum, forming a cylindrical tire body. The tire body is then inflated into a toroidal shape in order to accommodate the remaining components of the tire, such as the belt assembly and the rubber tread. The completed toroidal, unvulcanized tire body, which at this stage is referred to in the art as a green tire, is then inserted into a mold or press to form the tread pattern and to cure or vulcanize.

[0003] It is often desirable to collect electronic data of the conditions inside and around the tire. These data can be transmitted to various different electronic systems of the vehicle, such as the vehicle stability and / or braking system, in order to provide improved control of the vehicle and to monitor or track driving behavior. SUMMARY

[0004] The present invention provides the following technical solutions: 1. A system comprising: a tire observation sensor system secured to a wheel well of a vehicle, the tire observation sensor system comprising a sensor configured to take measurements of an outer surface of a tire; a computing device comprising a processor and a memory, the tire observation sensor system communicatively coupled with the computing device; and machine-readable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to at least: obtain sensor data from the tire observation sensor system; determine a tire health condition of the tire based at least in part on the sensor data; and generate an alert when the tire health condition is below a predefined threshold.

[0005] 2. The system of solution 1, wherein the tire observation sensor is secured to the wheel well of the vehicle such that the tire observation sensor is positioned parallel to a tangent plane of a tire mounted on the vehicle.

[0006] 3. The system of solution 2, wherein the tire observation sensor is positioned within the wheel well relative to a centerline of the tire.

[0007] 4. The system of solution 1, wherein the sensor data comprises a three-dimensional array of pixels representing a depth map of a portion of a tread of the tire within an image capture range of the tire observation sensor system.

[0008] 5. The system of aspect 1, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a time-of-flight sensor, a visible light sensor, a thermal sensor, an infrared temperature sensor, or a global positioning system location sensor.

[0009] 6. The system of aspect 1, wherein the tire observation sensor system is communicatively coupled to the computing device through a control area network (CAN) bus of the vehicle.

[0010] 7. The system of aspect 6, wherein the tire observation sensor system is wired to the CAN bus.

[0011] 8. The system of aspect 1, wherein the sensor data corresponds to real-time data obtained during operation of the vehicle.

[0012] 9. The system of aspect 1, wherein, when executed, the machine-readable instructions cause the computing device to at least record the tire health condition in a vehicle log associated with the vehicle.

[0013] 10. The system of aspect 1, wherein, when executed, the machine-readable instructions cause the computing device to at least: determine that the tire health condition has not met or exceeded a predefined threshold; send an alert to a fleet management device or a user device.

[0014] 11. A method comprising: obtaining, by a vehicle computing device, sensor data from a tire observation sensor system secured to a wheel well of a vehicle, the tire observation sensor system comprising a sensor configured to take measurements of an outer surface of a tire; determining, by the vehicle computing device, a tire health condition of the tire based at least in part on the sensor data; and generating, by the vehicle computing device, an alert in the event that the tire health condition is below a predefined threshold.

[0015] 12. The system of aspect 11, wherein the tire observation sensor is secured to the wheel well of the vehicle such that the tire observation sensor is positioned parallel to a tangent plane of a tire mounted on the vehicle.

[0016] 13. The system of aspect 12, wherein the tire observation sensor is positioned within the wheel well relative to a centerline of the tire.

[0017] 14. The system of aspect 11, wherein the sensor data comprises a three-dimensional array of pixels representing a depth map of a portion of a tire tread within an image capture range of the tire observation sensor system.

[0018] 15. The system of paragraph 11, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a time-of-flight sensor, a visible light sensor, a thermal sensor, an infrared temperature sensor, or a global positioning system location sensor.

[0019] 16. The system of paragraph 11, wherein the tire observation sensor system is communicatively coupled to the computing device through a control area network (CAN) bus of the vehicle.

[0020] 17. The system of paragraph 16, wherein the tire observation sensor system is wired to the CAN bus.

[0021] 18. The system of paragraph 11, wherein the sensor data corresponds to real-time data obtained during operation of the vehicle.

[0022] 19. The system of paragraph 11, further comprising recording the tire health condition in a vehicle log associated with the vehicle.

[0023] 20. The system of paragraph 11, further comprising: determining that the tire health condition has not met or exceeded a predefined threshold; and sending an alert to a fleet management device or a user device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Furthermore, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

[0025] Figure 1A is a diagram of a vehicle having one or more tires in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 1B is a side view of a vehicle wheel well with a tire installed within the wheel well, including a tire observation sensor system in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 2 is an example networked environment of a vehicle in accordance with various embodiments.

[0028] Figure 3A , 3B , 4A, 4B, 5A, and 5B illustrate examples of tire tread blocks (captured by a visible light camera) and corresponding depth maps measured in relation to tire tread elements in accordance with various embodiments.

[0029] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating a vehicle in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure as in Figure 2FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of one example of functionality implemented by an example portion of an application executed in a computing environment in a networked environment.

[0030] Definitions “CAN bus” is an abbreviation for Controller Area Network.

[0031] “Tread element” or “traction element” refers to a rib or block element defined by a shape having adjacent grooves. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Various methods of determining tire health (e.g., tread wear / depth) and safety using a tire observation sensor system fixed on a vehicle wheel well are disclosed herein. In various examples, the tire observation sensor system is able to monitor tire health and safety based on an external view of the tire. Conventionally, tire health and safety sensors are installed inside the tire (tire mounted sensor, TMS) or embedded in the tire (tire integrated sensor, TIS). These sensors have limitations in their ability to measure tire health (e.g., tread depth and temperature) at the tread surface and must use indirect methods to assess road conditions such as friction, road classification (e.g., wet / dry, ice / snow), chemical contaminants (e.g., oil, etc.), and detect foreign objects such as nails 、 screws or stones. The tire observation sensor system of the present disclosure directly observes the tread surface in real-time to directly assess tire tread block conditions and detect road elements as well as foreign objects inside and on the tire.

[0033] In the following discussion, a general description of the system and its components will be presented first, followed by a discussion of its operation. While the following discussion provides illustrative examples of the operation of various components of the present disclosure, the use of the following illustrative examples is not exclusive, and other implementations consistent with the principles disclosed in the following illustrative examples are possible.

[0034] Turning now to Figure 1A , an example view of a vehicle 103 is shown in accordance with various embodiments. In particular, Figure 1A an example perspective view of a vehicle 103 supported by a plurality of tires 106, each of which is located within a wheel well 109 of the vehicle 103 in accordance with various embodiments, is shown. While Figure 1A the vehicle 103 in is depicted as a passenger car, the vehicle 103 can include any type of vehicle that uses tires, which is merely shown by way of example as a passenger car. To this end, the vehicle 103 can include other vehicles of various classes, such as commercial trucks and trailers, off-road vehicles, etc., where these vehicles 103 include more than Figure 1Aa greater or fewer number of tires 106. As known to those skilled in the art, the tires 106 employ a conventional construction, each of which is mounted on a respective wheel. Each tire 106 includes a pair of sidewalls that extend to a circumferential tread. An inner liner is disposed on an inner surface of the tire 106 and, when the tire is mounted on a wheel and positioned within the wheel well 109, forms an interior cavity that is filled with a pressurized fluid, such as air.

[0035] With continued reference to Figure 1B , a side view of the wheel well 109 of the vehicle 103 is shown with the tire 106 mounted within the wheel well 109 of the vehicle 103. According to various examples, a tire observation sensor system 112 can be secured within the wheel well 109 of the tire 106 for purposes of assessing the tire health and safety of the tire 106. The tire observation sensor system 112 can be secured to the wheel well 109 by adhesive and / or mechanical means. In various examples, the tire observation sensor system 112 is secured within the wheel well 109 at a location along a centerline of the tire 106 so as to be able to observe the tire 106 (e.g., the tread elements between the sidewalls of the tire 106) positioned relative to the tire observation sensor system 112 omnidirectionally. It is noted that the positioning of the tire observation sensor system 112 is not limited to the top of the wheel arch of the wheel well 109 as shown in Figure 1B , but can be positioned at any location along the wheel arch of the wheel well 109 so that the capture range of the tire observation sensor system 112 is parallel to the tangent plane of the tire 106.

[0036] The tire observation sensor system 112 can incorporate one or more types of sensors or sensing elements that can acquire data related to the tire 106 positioned relative to the tire observation sensor system 112. In various examples, the tire observation sensor system 112 incorporates a time-of-flight (TOF) image sensor that captures a three-dimensional (3D) array of pixels that represents, in addition to a grayscale image, a depth map of the object under inspection (e.g., the tire 106). The TOF image sensor projects a modulated infrared light source onto the object or scene of interest. The TOF image sensor then captures the amplitude and phase difference of the reflected light for each pixel. The measured amplitude is used to construct a grayscale image, and the phase difference is used to construct a depth map of the object under observation. In various examples, the data captured from the TOF sensor can be analyzed to detect the tread depth of the tread elements of the tire 106 and determine the tire health of the tire 106.

[0037] In various examples, the tire observation sensor system 112 can also include additional sensors, such as visible light cameras, infrared light cameras, infrared light sources, visible light sources, tire surface temperature sensors, global positioning system (GPS) location sensors, and / or other types of sensors. Additionally, the tire observation sensor system 112 can also include processors and memory, real-time clocks (RTCs), any number of communication chips or interfaces (e.g., CAN bus, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.), and / or other components.

[0038] In various examples, the tire observation sensor system 112 can be directly wired to a vehicle computing device 115 of the vehicle 103, Figure 2 a controller area network (CAN) bus 118 associated with the vehicle 103, Figure 2 and / or a remote computing device or can wirelessly communicate with the vehicle computing device 115 of the vehicle 103, Figure 2 the controller area network (CAN) bus 118 associated with the vehicle 103, Figure 2 and / or a remote computing device. In various examples, by directly wiring the tire observation sensor system 112 to the vehicle 103 (e.g., through the CAN bus 118, the vehicle computing device 115), power limitations and bandwidth limitations for data communication can be minimized. Thus, as the tire observation sensor system 112 collects sensor data, the tire observation sensor system 112 can transmit the sensor data to the vehicle computing device 115, the CAN bus 118, a remote computing device, and / or other computing devices or communication interfaces for analysis to determine tire health of the tire 106.

[0039] In various examples, the sensor data collected from the tire observation sensor system 112 can be used to detect tread wear of the tire 106, monitor tire positioning of the vehicle suspension system, measure vehicle and / or trailer load, detect removal and / or installation of the tire 106 from the vehicle 103, and / or other characteristics related to the tire 106. In various examples, the sensor data can be analyzed in real-time to determine wear of the tread elements of the tire 106. For example, real-time data can be compared to historically collected data to detect wear in the tread elements of the tire 106. In other examples, the sensor data can be analyzed to detect uneven wear of the tread, which can be an indication of a positioning issue. Additionally, the sensor data can also include temperature of the tread blocks of the tire 106, which can affect friction and road contact parameters. For example, a sudden increase in the temperature of the tread blocks can be an indication of a rapid air leak in the tire 106. In other examples, the sensor data can be used to detect load bearing issues in the vehicle 103 wheels by detecting irregular wear and hot spots in heat maps included in the sensor data.

[0040] Using known information about the vehicle or trailer suspension, the load of the vehicle can be detected by measuring the absolute distance between the tire observation sensor system 112 and the tire 106 (averaged over a period of time). In addition, the dismounting and / or mounting of the tire 106 can be monitored by analyzing the sensor data. In various examples, the sensor data can be used to detect the dismounting and mounting of the tire 106. When a tire 106 is dismounted or mounted from the vehicle, the sensor data can be used to detect the unauthorized dismounting and mounting of the tire. For example, when the sensor data analysis indicates that the tread elements of the tire 106 have a different tread wear or pattern than a previously mounted tire 106, this can be an indication that the tire 106 on the vehicle 103 was replaced without authorization. In another example, when a tire 106 is dismounted from the vehicle 103, the tire observation sensor can record the time and location of the event at which this occurred. This can be an indication that the tire 106 was replaced without authorization or that other unauthorized maintenance or modifications were made to the vehicle 103.

[0041] In various examples, the sensor data, results related to the analysis of the sensor data, and / or notifications related to the analysis can be transmitted back to the fleet management device for observation, coordination, and / or taking appropriate action. Likewise, the sensor data, results related to the analysis of the sensor data, and / or notifications related to the analysis can also be transmitted back to the user device for observation, coordination, and / or taking appropriate action.

[0042] Turning now to Figure 2 , an example networked environment 200 according to various embodiments is shown. Figure 2 The networked environment 200 is shown to include a vehicle computing environment 203. The vehicle computing environment 203 can include the vehicle computing device 115, the CAN bus 118, one or more vehicle electronic systems 206, and the tire observation sensor system 109, which can be in data communication with one another over one or more networks. The vehicle computing device 115 includes a processor circuit that executes applications related to the control and / or operation of the vehicle 103. For example, in Figure 2 , the processor circuit of the vehicle computing device 115 can execute the tire health service 209 and / or other applications.

[0043] The tire health service 209 is executed to analyze tire observation sensor data 212 associated with a given tire 106 collected by the tire observation sensor system 112. The tire health service 209 can obtain the tire observation sensor data 212 from the tire observation sensor system 112 over the CAN bus 118 of the vehicle 103, or from a separate communication link between the tire observation sensor system 112 and the tire observation sensor system 112.

[0044] In various examples, the tire observation sensor data 212 includes time-of-flight (TOF) data obtained from a time-of-flight imager. The time-of-flight data can include a three-dimensional (3D) pixel array for representing a depth map of an object under inspection (e.g., the tire 106). Thus, the 3D pixel array can correspond to a tire tread, with different colors of pixels corresponding to depth and distance. This data can be analyzed by the tire health service 209 to determine a wear condition of tire tread elements. For example, Figures 3A-5B Examples of a tire tread of a tire 106 and corresponding depth maps related to tire tread elements are shown. In particular, Figure 3A A nearly new tire 106 is shown, Figure 3B A depth map taken from a TOF imager of the tire 106 of Figure 3A A depth map taken from a TOF imager of the tire 106 of Figure 4A A partially worn tire 106 is shown, Figure 4B A depth map taken from a TOF imager of the tire 106 of Figure 4A A depth map taken from a TOF imager of the tire 106 of Figure 5A A heavily worn tire 106 is shown, Figure 5B A depth map taken from a TOF imager of the tire 106 of Figure 5A A depth map taken from a TOF imager of the tire 106 of

[0045] After analyzing the tire observation sensor data 212, the tire health service 209 can use tire observation rules 227 to determine a wear condition of tire tread elements. If the wear is below a given threshold, the tire health service 209 can generate an alert notification that can be subsequently transmitted to a remote computing device associated with a fleet manager, a user computing device associated with a vehicle user, and / or an on-board display device of the vehicle 103 to alert of the tire health condition. The information can be used to observe, coordinate, and / or take appropriate action. The tire health service 109 is not limited to analyzing tire observation sensor data 212 for tread wear. Additionally, the tire observation sensor data 212 can also be analyzed by the tire health service 109 to monitor positioning issues of the tire, tire temperature, dismounting and / or mounting of the tire 106, and / or other information.

[0046] In various examples, the vehicle computing device 115 can also include a receiver 215 for obtaining tire observation sensor data 218 transmitted from the tire observation sensor system 112 within the wheel well 109 of the vehicle 103, tire observation sensor data 218 and other vehicle data obtained from the CAN bus 118 associated with the vehicle 103, and / or other data accessible over a network.

[0047] Further, various data is stored in a vehicle data store 218 accessible by the vehicle computing device 115. As can be appreciated, the data store 215 can represent a plurality of data stores 218. For example, the data stored in the data store 218 is related to the operation of various applications and / or functional entities related to the vehicle 103. For example, the data store 218 can include vehicle tire data 221, vehicle data 224, tire observation rules 227, and / or other information.

[0048] The vehicle tire data 221 can contain information for each particular tire 106. For example, the vehicle tire data 221 can include a tire identifier, manufacturing information for the tire 106 (e.g., manufacturer name, tire model, etc.), tire size information (e.g., rim size, width, and overall diameter, etc.), manufacturing location, manufacturing date, a tread crown code containing or associated with a compound identification, a mold code containing or associated with a tread structure identification, and / or other information. The vehicle tire data 221 can also include repair history records or other information to identify specific characteristics and parameters of each tire 106. The vehicle tire data 221 can also include tire observation sensor data 212, vehicle tire logs 217, and / or other data.

[0049] The tire observation sensor data 212 can include data collected from the tire observation sensor system 112 on a given tire 106. As previously described, the tire observation sensor system 112 can include at least one of a time-of-flight imager, a visible light camera, an infrared light camera, an infrared light source, a visible light source, a tire surface temperature sensor, a global positioning system (GPS) location sensor, and / or other types of sensors.

[0050] The vehicle data 224 can include data related to the vehicle 103 supported by the tire 106. The vehicle data 224 can be obtained from the vehicle CAN bus 118 in communication with one or more vehicle systems 206 of the vehicle 103 supported by the tire 106. The vehicle data 224 can include engine torque, engine revolutions per minute (RPM), vehicle speed, wheel speed, vehicle acceleration, vehicle load, odometer value, brake cylinder pressure value, and / or other types of vehicle data.

[0051] Tire observation rules 227 include rules, models, and / or configuration data for various algorithms or methods employed by tire health service 209 and / or other applications or devices. For example, tire observation rules 227 can include predefined thresholds related to determining tire health conditions, such as tread wear thresholds. In addition, tire observation rules 227 can also include various models, formulas, equations, and / or algorithms for determining vehicle load. For example, tire observation rules 227 can include algorithms that can use vehicle data 224 (e.g., suspension information), tire observation sensor data 212, and / or other data to measure the absolute distance between tire observation sensor system 109 and tire 106, which can be used to determine load.

[0052] In various examples, vehicle computing device 115 can include a communication system to facilitate communication with vehicle components of vehicle 103 (e.g., to obtain tire observation sensor data 221 and vehicle data 218, etc.), remote computing environments over a network, user (client) devices, or other types of computing devices. In these implementations, vehicle computing device 115 can include appropriate communication functionality to connect with computing devices over a cellular network or a Wi-Fi network. Vehicle computing device 115 can also include appropriate communication functionality to use Bluetooth® links, microwave transmissions, radio broadcasts, or other wireless communication means.

[0053] Although Figure 2 While shown as separate from vehicle electronics 206 in FIG. 1, in some examples, vehicle computing device 115 can be integrated with other vehicle electronics 206 in vehicle 103. In various examples, vehicle computing device 115 can be coupled to CAN bus 118 and can communicate with other vehicle electronics 206 contained on CAN bus 118.

[0054] In various examples, vehicle electronics 206 can include electronic components of vehicle 103 responsible for managing and regulating various operations of vehicle 103. For example, vehicle electronics 206 can include engine control systems, transmission control systems, braking systems, suspension systems, steering systems, and / or other types of vehicle systems. As can be appreciated, vehicle electronics 206 can be coupled to CAN bus 118 to allow for communication between different vehicle electronics 206. In various examples, vehicle electronics 206 can include processor circuitry to execute applications to adjust operational aspects related to particular vehicle electronics 206.

[0055] It should be noted that although Figure 2Tire health service 209 is shown as part of vehicle computing device 115, but in some embodiments, vehicle computing device 115 can be part of a remote computing environment and can use the functionality of tire health service 209 in the remote computing environment.

[0056] Next, reference is made to Figure 6 The operation of the various components of networked environment 200 is generally described. Figure 6 is a flow diagram of one example of operations to provide part of tire health service 209. Figure 6 The flow diagram of is merely an example of a large number of different types of functional configurations that can be used to implement the operations of the illustrated part of tire health service 209. As an alternative, Figure 6 The flow diagram of can be viewed as depicting elements of a method implemented in networked environment 200.

[0057] From block 603, tire health service 209 can acquire tire observation sensor data 212. In various examples, tire observation sensor data 212 can be acquired through a direct wired or wireless communication connection between vehicle computing device 115 and a tire observation sensor system 115 of a given tire 106. In other examples, tire observation sensor data 212 is acquired through CAN bus 118. Tire observation sensor data 212 can include 3D depth maps generated by time-of-flight imagers, visual images captured by visible light cameras (imagers), infrared images or pixel arrays, heat maps, temperature data, and / or other types of data that can be acquired through one or more sensing elements included in tire observation sensor system 115. In various examples, tire health service 209 can acquire tire observation sensor data 212 in real-time during operation of vehicle 103 (where vehicle 103 is moving), and / or when vehicle 103 is not moving. In some examples, tire observation sensor data 212 is acquired periodically, randomly, on-demand, and / or according to a given schedule. It should be noted that tire observation sensor data 212 can be acquired without human intervention.

[0058] At block 606, tire health service 209 can determine a health and / or safety of a given tire 106 based at least in part on analysis of acquired tire observation sensor data 212. For example, tire health service 209 can use various rules, models, and / or algorithms in tire observation rules 227 to determine tread wear, uneven tread wear, alignment issues, tire installation and / or removal, tire temperature, and / or other factors that can impact the health of tire 106.

[0059] In block 609, the tire health service 209 can record the health conditions of the tire 106 in the vehicle tire log 217. The tire health conditions can be recorded according to the date and / or time of the tire health condition analysis. The tire health conditions can include the tread depth, whether the tire 106 is present and / or missing, the tire temperature, the tire load, and / or other types of information. The tire health conditions can also include whether the tire health service 209 detected potential alignment issues, tread wear issues, tire detachment, tire temperature issues, and / or other types of issues, which can be detected in response to the analysis of the tire observation sensor data 212. In some examples, the tire health service 209 can provide values for one or more tire health factors corresponding to the overall health condition of the tire 106. The tire health factors can include the tread depth, the tread flatness, the tire temperature, the tire detachment, and / or other tire factors. In various examples, the vehicle tire log 217 can be transmitted to the fleet management device for observation, coordination, and / or taking appropriate action. Similarly, the vehicle tire log 217 can also be transmitted to the user device for observation, coordination, and / or taking appropriate action. In various examples, the vehicle tire log 217 is stored in the vehicle data storage 218.

[0060] In block 612, the tire health service 209 can determine whether the tire health status meets or exceeds a predefined threshold. For example, if all of the calculated tire health factors meet or exceed the respective threshold, this portion of the tire health service 209 proceeds to completion. Otherwise, if one or more of the tire health factor values are below a given threshold, the tire health service 209 can proceed to block 618.

[0061] In block 618, the tire health service 209 generates an alert notification. The alert notification can indicate that a tire health factor has fallen below a given threshold. For example, if the tread depth is below a predefined threshold, the alert notification can indicate that the tread depth for a given tire 106 is below a required depth. In block 621, the tire health service 209 can send the alert notification to a remote computing device, a user device, and / or a vehicle display device. For example, the alert notification can be transmitted to the fleet management device for observation, coordination, and / or taking appropriate action. Likewise, the alert notification can be transmitted to the user device for observation, coordination, and / or taking appropriate action. Further, the alert notification can be transmitted to the vehicle display device to indicate the tread health issue. Thereafter, this portion of the flow proceeds to completion.

[0062] Many of the software components discussed previously are stored in the memory of the respective computing device and are executable by the processor of the respective computing device. In this regard, the term "executable" refers to a program file in its final form that is capable of being run on the processor. Examples of executable programs can be: a compiled program that is converted to machine code that is in a format that can be loaded into a random access portion of memory and executed by the processor; source code that can be expressed in a suitable format, such as object code, that is capable of being loaded into a random access portion of memory and executed by the processor; or source code that is capable of being interpreted by another executable program to generate instructions in a random access portion of memory for execution by the processor. Memory includes both volatile and nonvolatile memory and data storage components. Volatile components are those that do not retain data values upon loss of power. Nonvolatile components are those that retain data values upon loss of power.

[0063] While the applications and systems described herein can be implemented in software or code by general purpose hardware as discussed above, as an alternative they can also be implemented in dedicated hardware or a combination of software and dedicated hardware that performs the functions of the applications and systems. If implemented in software, each block can represent a module, segment, or code section that comprises program instructions for implementing the specified logical function. The program instructions can be stored in any type of computer-readable medium or memory involved with a computer system including, for example, volatile or non-volatile memory, removable or non-removable memory, erasable or non-erasable memory, or a combination of the same. The memory can include, without limitation, volatile memory (such as RAM, including SRAM, DRAM, or other types of RAM), non-volatile memory (such as ROM, flash memory, or other types of non-volatile memory), or a combination of the same. Additionally, a basic input / output system (BIOS), containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the computer system, such as during start-up, can be stored in memory. The memory can also include a storage device, such as a hard disk drive or solid state drive, that can be used to store data files such as documents, pictures, videos, and other types of data.

[0064] The flow diagrams illustrate the functional and operational logic of various portions of the embodiments of the present disclosure. If implemented in software, each block can represent a module, segment, or code section that comprises program instructions for implementing the specified logical function. The program instructions can be stored in any type of computer-readable medium or memory involved with a computer system including, for example, volatile or non-volatile memory, removable or non-removable memory, erasable or non-erasable memory, or a combination of the same. The memory can include, without limitation, volatile memory (such as RAM, including SRAM, DRAM, or other types of RAM), non-volatile memory (such as ROM, flash memory, or other types of non-volatile memory), or a combination of the same. Additionally, a basic input / output system (BIOS), containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the computer system, such as during start-up, can be stored in memory. The memory can also include a storage device, such as a hard disk drive or solid state drive, that can be used to store data files such as documents, pictures, videos, and other types of data.

[0065] While the flow diagrams show a particular order of execution, it is to be understood that the order of execution can differ from that which is illustrated. For example, two or more blocks can be executed concurrently or in a different order than is illustrated. Additionally, one or more blocks can be skipped or omitted entirely according to the logic employed in the design of a given implementation. Furthermore, any number of counters, state variables, warning semaphores, or messages can be added to the logic described herein for purposes of enhanced utility, accounting, performance measurement, or to provide troubleshooting assistance, among other reasons.。 It is to be understood that all such changes are within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0066] Furthermore, any of the logic or application described herein that resides in software or code can be embodied in any non-transitory computer-readable medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system such as, for example, a processor-based system or other system that fetches, executes, and otherwise processes the instructions. In this manner, the logic can comprise statements including instructions and declarations that can be fetched from the computer-readable medium and executed by the instruction execution system. In the context of the present disclosure, a "computer-readable medium" can be any media or means that can contain, store, or maintain the logic or application described herein for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system. Furthermore, a collection of such computer-readable media positioned in different locations for a given instruction execution system can also be collectively referred to as a single computer-readable medium for that system. The computer-readable medium can comprise any one of a variety of physical media, such as magnetic, optical, or semiconductor media.

[0067] Furthermore, any of the logic or application described herein can be implemented and built in a variety of ways. For example, one or more of the applications described herein can be implemented as modules or components of a single application. Furthermore, one or more of the applications described herein can be run on a shared or separate computing devices or a combination thereof. For example, multiple applications described herein can be run on the same computing device or can be run on multiple computing devices in the vehicle computing environment 203.

[0068] Disjunctive language such as the phrase "at least one of X, Y, or Z," unless specifically stated otherwise, is understood to allow for "X, Y, or Z," or any combination of the items X, Y, and Z (for example, X; Y; Z; X or Y; X or Z; Y or Z; X, Y, and Z; X, Y, or Z; and so forth). Hence, such disjunctive language is not generally intended to, and should not be construed to, require that each item in the selection be individually present or alternatively, that each item be individually absent. It is to be understood that the use of "or" herein is the inclusive, and not the exclusive use. That is, "A or B" covers the cases where either A is true, or B is true, or both A and B are true.

[0069] It is emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure are possible examples of implementation and are set forth for the purpose of illustration only. Numerous modifications and changes can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the present disclosure. All such modifications and changes are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure and protected by the following claims.

Claims

1. A system comprising: A tire observation sensor system fixed to the wheel well of a vehicle, the tire observation sensor system including sensors configured to measure the outer surface of the tire; The system includes a computing device with a processor and memory, and the tire observation sensor system communicates with the computing device. as well as Machine-readable instructions stored in memory, when executed by a processor, cause the computing device to at least: Acquire sensor data from the tire observation sensor system; The tire health condition is determined at least in part based on sensor data; and An alarm is generated when the tire health condition falls below a predefined threshold.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The tire observation sensor is fixed to the wheel well of the vehicle, so that the tire observation sensor is positioned parallel to the tangential plane of the tire mounted on the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the tire observation sensor is positioned within the wheel well relative to the centerline of the tire.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The sensor data includes a three-dimensional pixel array that represents a depth map of a portion of the tire tread within the image capture range of the tire observation sensor system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a time-of-flight sensor, a visible light sensor, a thermal sensor, an infrared temperature sensor, or a GPS position sensor.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the tire observation sensor system is connected to the computing device via the vehicle's control local area network (CAN) bus.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the tire observation sensor system is wired to the CAN bus.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor data corresponds to real-time data acquired during vehicle operation.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein, When executed, the machine-readable instructions cause the computing device to record at least the tire health status in the vehicle log associated with the vehicle.

10. A method comprising: Sensor data is acquired from a tire observation sensor system fixed to the wheel wells of the vehicle via a vehicle computing device. The tire observation sensor system includes sensors configured to measure the outer surface of the tire. The tire health status is determined by the vehicle's computing equipment, at least in part, based on sensor data. as well as An alert is generated via the vehicle's computing device when the tire health condition falls below a predefined threshold.

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