Tire management apparatus, program, and method for tire management

Abstract

To provide a tire management apparatus, a program, and a method for tire management capable of evaluating the magnitude of a load applied to a tire by a simple calculation.SOLUTION: A tire management apparatus (10) includes: an acquisition unit (131) configured to acquire input data including information on a usage state of a tire detected by a detection device (70) mounted on a vehicle (20); and a calculation unit (132) configured to calculate an evaluation value related to a load on the tire on the basis of the input data and an evaluation coefficient set according to the type of information included in the input data or the type of a value calculated on the basis of the information included in the input data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a tire management device, a program, and a tire management method. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, methods for leasing or acquiring tires with options have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system for determining tire prices based on the combination of casing and tread, with the tire price having an option based on the number of miles driven by a vehicle equipped with the tire. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2015-507292 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, the magnitude of tire load varies depending on factors such as where the vehicle is traveling and whether or not the user experiences sudden acceleration during driving, resulting in differences in the frequency of tire replacement. For example, driving with frequent sudden accelerations not only increases tire wear, but also accumulates damage to the tire's interior, reducing the number of retreads and shortening the tire's lifespan. For example, in tire leasing or subscription, it is preferable from the perspective of fairness to determine the price based on the magnitude of tire load (in other words, the rate at which the tire deteriorates). However, in the past, it was difficult to easily evaluate the magnitude of tire load with sufficient accuracy, and attempts to improve accuracy resulted in complex calculations. For this reason, tire leasing or subscription prices are roughly determined based on factors such as the vehicle's mileage, for example, annually, without taking into account factors such as the magnitude of tire load.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a tire management device, a program, and a tire management method that can evaluate the magnitude of the load on a tire through simple calculations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) A tire management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: an acquisition unit that acquires input data including information about the tire usage state detected by a detection device mounted on the vehicle; and a calculation unit that calculates an evaluation value related to the load on the tire based on the input data and an evaluation coefficient set according to the information contained in the input data or the type of value calculated based on the information contained in the input data. This configuration allows the magnitude of the load on the tire to be evaluated through simple calculations.

[0007] (2) As one embodiment of the present disclosure, in (1), the input data includes information about the yaw angle of the vehicle; The calculation unit calculates a cumulative turning angle based on the yaw angle, and calculates the evaluation value using the cumulative turning angle. This configuration allows for accurate evaluation of the turning that affects tire degradation, and as a result, the magnitude of the load on the tire can be evaluated with high accuracy. Here, the turning to be evaluated means a sharp turn (so-called tight turn) that causes deformation of the tire.

[0008] (3) As an embodiment of the present disclosure, in (1) or (2), the input data includes information about the position and yaw angle of the vehicle; The calculation unit calculates a turning radius based on the position and the yaw angle, and calculates the evaluation value using the turning radius. This configuration allows for accurate evaluation of turning, which affects tire degradation, and as a result, makes it possible to evaluate the magnitude of the load on the tire with high accuracy.

[0009] (4) As an embodiment of the present disclosure, in any one of (1) to (3), the input data includes information about the vehicle's location and the tire's temperature; The calculation unit calculates a loaded distance, which is a distance traveled by the vehicle with the load loaded, based on the position and the temperature, and calculates the evaluation value using the loaded distance. This configuration makes it possible to accurately evaluate the load that affects tire degradation, and as a result, to evaluate the magnitude of the load on the tire with high accuracy.

[0010] (5) As an embodiment of the present disclosure, in any one of (1) to (4), the input data includes information about the location of the vehicle; The calculation unit calculates an elevation gain by accumulating elevation differences when the vehicle climbs a slope based on the position, and calculates the evaluation value using the elevation gain. This configuration allows road conditions that affect tire deterioration to be evaluated with high accuracy, and as a result, the magnitude of the load on the tire can be evaluated with high accuracy.

[0011] (6) As an embodiment of the present disclosure, in any one of (1) to (5), the input data includes information about the speed of the vehicle; The calculation unit calculates an acquired speed by accumulating speed differences when the vehicle accelerates based on the speed, and calculates the evaluation value using the acquired speed. This configuration makes it possible to accurately evaluate the magnitude of acceleration that affects tire degradation, and as a result, to accurately evaluate the magnitude of the load on the tire.

[0012] (7) As an embodiment of the present disclosure, in any one of (1) to (6), the input data includes position and acceleration information of the vehicle; The calculation unit calculates an off-road distance, which is a cumulative distance traveled by the vehicle off-road, based on the position and the acceleration, and calculates the evaluation value using the off-road distance. This configuration allows road conditions that affect tire deterioration to be evaluated with high accuracy, and as a result, the magnitude of the load on the tire can be evaluated with high accuracy.

[0013] (8) As an embodiment of the present disclosure, in any one of (1) to (7), The input data includes information on the mileage of the vehicle and the number of days the tires have been installed, The calculation unit calculates the evaluation value using the travel distance and the number of days the device is worn. With this configuration, the amount of use that affects tire degradation can be evaluated, and as a result, the magnitude of the load on the tire can be evaluated with high accuracy.

[0014] (9) As an embodiment of the present disclosure, in any one of (1) to (8), The vehicle includes a determination unit that determines the tire lease or subscription price for the vehicle user based on the calculated evaluation value. This configuration can be applied to determining the price in tire leasing or subscription, allowing for fair pricing that takes into account the magnitude of the load on the tire.

[0015] (10) A program according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: For tire management devices, obtaining input data including information regarding the usage state of the tire detected by a detection device mounted on the vehicle; and calculating an evaluation value related to the load on the tire based on the input data and an evaluation coefficient set according to the information contained in the input data or the type of value calculated based on the information contained in the input data. This configuration allows the magnitude of the load on the tire to be evaluated through simple calculations.

[0016] (11) A tire management method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: A tire management method executed by a tire management device, The tire management device includes: obtaining input data including information regarding the usage state of the tire detected by a detection device mounted on the vehicle; and calculating an evaluation value related to the load on the tire based on the input data and an evaluation coefficient set according to the information contained in the input data or the type of value calculated based on the information contained in the input data. This configuration allows the magnitude of the load on the tire to be evaluated through simple calculations. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a tire management device, a program, and a tire management method that can evaluate the magnitude of the load on a tire through simple calculations. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a tire management system including a tire management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is another diagram showing an example of the configuration of the tire management system of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the calculation of the cumulative turning angle and turning radius. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining calculation of the loaded distance based on the position and the temperature. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a diagram for explaining calculation of the loaded distance based on the position and the temperature. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a diagram for explaining calculation of the loaded distance based on the position and the temperature. [Figure 5C] FIG. 5C is a diagram for explaining calculation of the loaded distance based on the position and the temperature. [Figure 5D] FIG. 5D is a diagram for explaining calculation of the loaded distance based on the position and the temperature. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining calculation of the loaded distance based on the position and the temperature. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the altitude gain and the speed gain. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the determination of off-road based on the position and acceleration. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an example of a flowchart illustrating the processing of a tire management method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] A tire management device 10 (see FIG. 1), a program, and a tire management method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, identical or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals. In the description of this embodiment, the description of identical or corresponding parts will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0020] 1 and 2 are diagrams showing an example of the configuration of a tire management system. The tire management system includes a tire management device 10. Fig. 1 is a block diagram including an example of the internal configuration of the tire management device 10 and an example of the configuration of a device mounted on a vehicle 20. Fig. 2 shows the overall configuration of the tire management system.

[0021] The tire management device 10 according to this embodiment acquires information about the usage status of the tire 30 mounted on the vehicle 20 and calculates an evaluation value related to the load on the tire 30 based on the information. The evaluation value related to the load on the tire 30 (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as the "evaluation value") is a value that objectively evaluates, using a numerical value, the degree of load on the tire 30 due to the tire 30 being mounted on the vehicle 20 and used. The evaluation value makes it possible to determine, for example, that the driving of the user of the vehicle 20 frequently involves sudden acceleration or sharp turns, causing the tire 30 to wear quickly and have a relatively short lifespan, i.e., the tire 30 replacement cycle is relatively frequent. Furthermore, if the evaluation values ​​are the same, it is estimated that the tire 30 replacement cycle is also the same. Therefore, if the evaluation values ​​are the same, it is estimated that the number of tires 30 used in a certain period is the same, and therefore the same fee can be set for leasing or subscribing (hereinafter, "leasing, etc.") of the tires 30. The evaluation value can be used not only for determining the tire 30 replacement cycle but also for estimating the tire 30 lifespan and suggesting improvements to the user's driving. In this embodiment, however, the evaluation value is described as being used for pay-per-use services such as leasing the tire 30. Here, the vehicle 20 may be, for example, a passenger car, a truck, a bus, or a construction vehicle, and is not limited to a specific type of moving body. In this embodiment, the vehicle 20 is described as being a truck or a bus. Also, to avoid redundancy in the illustrations of FIGS. 1 and 2, only one vehicle 20 is shown, but the tire management system may be configured to include multiple vehicles 20.

[0022] The tire management device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a control unit 13. The control unit 13 includes an acquisition unit 131, a calculation unit 132, a determination unit 133, and an output unit 134. The tire management device 10 may be configured, for example, as a computer in terms of hardware configuration. The computer may be a server computer or a portable computer such as a laptop or tablet. Details of the components of the tire management device 10 will be described later. In this embodiment, the tire management device 10 is a computer used by an organization that leases tires 30. Here, the tire management device 10 may not be a single device, but may be configured as multiple devices located in multiple locations and capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from each other via a network 40. In other words, multiple devices connected via the network 40 may function as the tire management device 10 shown in FIG. 1 as a whole. Therefore, for example, the tire management device 10 may be configured as a single computer in terms of hardware configuration, or may be configured as multiple computers connected via the network 40. When the system is configured with multiple computers, the storage unit 12 may be a shared memory that can be accessed by each computer.

[0023] The tire management device 10 may constitute a tire management system together with devices (a detection device 70 and an on-board communication device 80) mounted on the vehicle 20 connected via a network 40. The network 40 may be, for example, the Internet. The network 40 may also include, for example, a local area network (LAN). The tire management system may further include a terminal device 50 used by a data user who uses data based on the evaluation values ​​calculated by the tire management device 10. The data user may be, for example, a service user who leases tires 30, or a service provider. The terminal device 50 may be, for example, a general-purpose mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet device, but is not limited to these. The terminal device 50 may function as a display unit that displays the determination results output by the output unit 134 (described later). The tire management system may also include a storage device 90 (a cloud-based storage device 90) on the network 40 as viewed from the tire management device 10 and the devices mounted on the vehicle 20. In this embodiment, the storage device 90 includes a database that stores information about the usage state of the tire 30 detected by the detection device 70 mounted on the vehicle 20 as time-series data, while linking the information to the vehicle 20 that is the detection target. Also, in this embodiment, the tire management device 10 acquires information about the usage state of the tire 30 from the database via the network 40 as input data. Here, the information about the usage state of the tire 30 includes not only information that directly indicates how the tire 30 is being used (for example, the temperature inside the tire), but also indirect information (for example, the acceleration and altitude of the vehicle 20).

[0024] In this embodiment, the vehicle 20 includes a detection device 70 and an on-board communication device 80. The detection device 70 is a device or on-board system equipped with sensors that generates information regarding the usage status of the tires 30. In this embodiment, the detection device 70 includes a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). In this embodiment, the detection device 70 also includes a global positioning system (GPS) device and an inertial sensor. The GPS device may be any device that identifies the position of the vehicle 20. The inertial sensor may be any device that can detect at least the vertical acceleration and yaw angle of the vehicle 20. For example, a car navigation system installed in the vehicle 20 may be used as the GPS device and the inertial sensor.

[0025] The tire pressure monitoring system monitors the pressure (internal pressure) and temperature (internal tire temperature) of a tire 30 attached to a vehicle 20. The tire pressure monitoring system may be configured to include, for example, a sensor installed inside the tire 30, a processor that calculates and outputs the pressure of the tire 30 based on the detected value of the sensor, and a memory that stores the detected value of the sensor, etc. The sensor may include a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor.

[0026] The on-vehicle communication device 80 is a device that outputs information about the usage state of the tire 30 detected by the detection device 70 so that the information is stored in a database. In this embodiment, the on-vehicle communication device 80 is realized by the communication function of a digital tachograph, but is not limited to this and may be, for example, a dedicated communication device. In this embodiment, the on-vehicle communication device 80 outputs the position, speed, acceleration, yaw angle (or yaw rate), mileage, and temperature (internal tire temperature) of the vehicle 20 as information about the usage state of the tire 30. However, the on-vehicle communication device 80 may not output some of this information, or may output additional information as information about the usage state of the tire 30. The information output from the on-vehicle communication device 80 is stored in a database in a storage device 90 on the cloud. Here, the speed, acceleration, and mileage of the vehicle 20 may be calculated from information about the position of the vehicle 20, or may be directly detected by the detection device 70. For example, the detection device 70 may include a speed sensor, and the measured speed of the vehicle 20 may be output from the on-vehicle communication device 80. Furthermore, for example, the detection device 70 may include an acceleration sensor, and the measured acceleration of the vehicle 20 may be output from the in-vehicle communication device 80. Furthermore, for example, the detection device 70 may include an odometer (a distance meter), and the measured travel distance of the vehicle 20 may be output from the in-vehicle communication device 80.

[0027] The components of the tire management device 10 will be described in detail below. The communication unit 11 is configured to include one or more communication modules connected to the network 40. The communication unit 11 may include a communication module compatible with mobile communication standards such as 4G (4th Generation) and 5G (5th Generation). The communication unit 11 may include a communication module compatible with a wired or wireless LAN standard, for example.

[0028] The storage unit 12 is one or more memories. The memory may be, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, an optical memory, or the like, but is not limited to these, and may be any memory. The storage unit 12 is, for example, built into the tire management device 10, but may also be configured to be accessed from outside by the tire management device 10 via any interface.

[0029] The storage unit 12 stores various data used in various calculations performed by the control unit 13. The storage unit 12 may also store results and intermediate data of various calculations performed by the control unit 13.

[0030] In this embodiment, the storage unit 12 temporarily stores various information from the database of the storage device 90 on the cloud, which is acquired via the communication unit 11. In this embodiment, the storage unit 12 also stores the number of days that the tire 30 has been installed, which is input by a service provider, such as a tire 30 leaser, and acquired via the network 40 and the communication unit 11. In this embodiment, the storage unit 12 also stores evaluation coefficients, which will be described later. The storage unit 12 may also store vehicle information, which is information about the vehicle 20 (for example, axle configuration, etc.).

[0031] The control unit 13 is one or more processors. The processor may be, for example, a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process, but is not limited to these and may be any processor. The control unit 13 controls the overall operation of the tire management device 10.

[0032] Here, the tire management device 10 may have the following software configuration: One or more programs used to control the operation of the tire management device 10 are stored in the storage unit 12. When the program stored in the storage unit 12 is read by the processor of the control unit 13, it causes the control unit 13 to function as an acquisition unit 131, a calculation unit 132, a determination unit 133, and an output unit 134.

[0033] The acquisition unit 131 acquires input data including information regarding the usage state of the tire 30 detected by the detection device 70 mounted on the vehicle 20. The input data may include information regarding the position of the vehicle 20. The input data may include information regarding the yaw angle. The input data may include information regarding the temperature of the tire 30. The input data may include information regarding the speed of the vehicle 20. The input data may include information regarding the acceleration of the vehicle 20. The input data may include information regarding the mileage of the vehicle 20. Furthermore, the input data may include information regarding the number of days the tire 30 has been installed.

[0034] The calculation unit 132 calculates an evaluation value related to the load on the tire 30 based on the input data and an evaluation coefficient set according to the type of information included in the input data or the value calculated based on the information included in the input data. As described above, the evaluation value is a value that objectively evaluates, using a numerical value, the degree of load applied to the tire 30 when the tire 30 is mounted on the vehicle 20 and used. The evaluation coefficient is set in advance and stored in the storage unit 12 as described above. The calculation unit 132 acquires the evaluation coefficient from the storage unit 12 when calculating the evaluation value or before calculating the evaluation value. The calculation unit 132 calculates the evaluation value by multiplying information included in the input data (e.g., mileage) by an evaluation coefficient set according to the type of information (e.g., a coefficient per kilometer). The calculation unit 132 also calculates a predetermined value (e.g., a cumulative turning angle) based on information included in the input data (e.g., a yaw angle), and calculates the evaluation value by multiplying the predetermined value by an evaluation coefficient (e.g., a coefficient per rotation) set according to the type of the predetermined value. Furthermore, the calculation unit 132 can calculate a final evaluation value (overall evaluation value) by adding together multiple evaluation values ​​calculated from each of the multiple pieces of information included in the input data, or by weighting each evaluation value and then adding them together. The tire management device 10 can evaluate the magnitude of the load on the tire 30 using such uncomplicated calculations (simple calculations). Here, the evaluation coefficients may be determined based on past performance data or experimental data that indicates the relationship between the various pieces of information included in the input data and the actual deterioration of the tire 30. For example, the evaluation coefficients may be obtained by machine learning using such past performance data or experimental data as learning data.

[0035] The calculation unit 132 may calculate a cumulative turning angle based on the yaw angle of the vehicle 20, and may use the cumulative turning angle to calculate an evaluation value. At this time, the acquisition unit 131 acquires input data including information on the yaw angle of the vehicle 20. The calculation unit 132 may calculate the evaluation value by multiplying the cumulative turning angle by a coefficient per unit angle (e.g., one rotation) as an evaluation coefficient. For example, even if the vehicle 20 is a bus with a similar driving distance, the load on the tires 30 due to turning differs greatly between an express bus that mainly runs on highways and a bus that travels through areas that include mountainous regions. The larger the cumulative turning angle, the greater the load on the tires 30. The calculation unit 132 uses the cumulative turning angle to accurately evaluate turning, which affects the deterioration of the tires 30, and as a result, can accurately evaluate the magnitude of the load on the tires 30.

[0036] The calculation unit 132 may also calculate a turning radius based on the position and yaw angle of the vehicle 20 and use the turning radius to calculate an evaluation value. At this time, the acquisition unit 131 acquires input data including information on the position and yaw angle of the vehicle 20. The calculation unit 132 may calculate the evaluation value by multiplying the turning radius by a coefficient that is inversely proportional to the magnitude of the turning radius as an evaluation coefficient. The calculation of the turning radius may be performed in addition to calculating values ​​other than the turning radius, such as the cumulative turning angle (i.e., in combination with calculating other values). The smaller the turning radius, the greater the load on the tires 30. The calculation unit 132 uses the turning radius to accurately evaluate turns that affect the deterioration of the tires 30, and as a result, can accurately evaluate the magnitude of the load on the tires 30. In this embodiment, turns evaluated by the calculation unit 132 refer to sharp turns (so-called tight turns) that cause deformation of the tires 30. In other words, turns traveling at low speeds around gentle curves may be excluded from the turns to be evaluated. Tight turns include turning around curves with small turning radii or turning at high travel speeds, for example, causing some of the wheels of the vehicle to buckle or skid.

[0037] 3 is a diagram for explaining the calculation of the cumulative turning angle and turning radius. The calculation unit 132 acquires, for example, a measured value of the yaw rate of the vehicle 20 as yaw angle information, calculates the yaw angle by integrating the positive side (left rotation) and the negative side (right rotation), and can calculate the cumulative turning angle by adding up the calculated yaw angles. The bottom diagram of FIG. 3 shows an example of changes in the yaw rate of the vehicle 20. The calculation unit 132 can identify the central time of one turn based on the changes in the yaw rate.

[0038] The calculation unit 132 also acquires the position trajectory (time-series data) of the vehicle 20, and by synchronizing the time, compares it with the yaw rate, and can associate the left and right turns of the vehicle 20 with the position trajectory. In the upper diagram of FIG. 3, a circular dot indicates that the vehicle 20 is turning left. A triangular dot indicates that the vehicle 20 is turning right. The calculation unit 132 calculates the turning radius at each time from the position trajectory of the vehicle 20, for example, using a known calculation formula. Then, the calculation unit 132 determines the smallest value for one turn as the turning radius and identifies that time as the center time of the turn. In the example of FIG. 3, three turns (two left turns and one right turn) are shown, and the turning radius and center time are identified by their respective minimum values. Here, in order to perform accurate time adjustment, it is preferable that the calculation unit 132 performs a process of comparing the turning center time identified by calculating the cumulative turning angle with the turning center time identified by calculating the turning radius. The turning center time identified by calculating the cumulative turning angle and the turning center time identified by calculating the turning radius do not need to match perfectly, and a difference of, for example, several seconds is acceptable.

[0039] The cumulative turning angle and turning radius can also be calculated based on three-dimensional acceleration data. However, calculating the cumulative turning angle and turning radius using acceleration data requires a sampling frequency of, for example, over 10 Hz, resulting in a large amount of data. Furthermore, road surface roughness can have a significant effect on acceleration, particularly when turning at low speeds, making it difficult to improve accuracy. Therefore, the above calculation method, which uses information on the position and yaw angle of the vehicle 20 and is relatively less affected by noise, is preferred.

[0040] The calculation unit 132 may calculate a loaded distance, which is the distance traveled by the vehicle 20 with a load loaded, based on the position of the vehicle 20 and the temperature of the tire 30, and may use the loaded distance to calculate the evaluation value. At this time, the acquisition unit 131 acquires input data including information on the position of the vehicle 20 and the temperature of the tire 30. The calculation unit 132 may calculate the evaluation value by multiplying the loaded distance by a coefficient per unit distance (e.g., 1 km) as an evaluation coefficient. The calculation of the loaded distance may be performed in addition to the calculation of values ​​other than the loaded distance, such as the cumulative turning angle. For example, when the vehicle 20 is a truck, the load on the tire 30 varies greatly depending on whether or not the vehicle is loaded with a load. The longer the loaded distance, the greater the load on the tire 30. The calculation unit 132 may use the loaded distance to accurately evaluate the load that affects the deterioration of the tire 30, and as a result, can accurately evaluate the magnitude of the load on the tire 30.

[0041] 4, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, and 6 are diagrams for explaining calculation of loaded distance based on position and temperature. For example, if the vehicle 20 is a truck with dual rear wheels, each tire 30 can be classified into groups (front wheels, inner rear wheels, and outer rear wheels). In the following example, the truck has 12 wheels: four front wheels, four inner rear wheels, and four outer rear wheels. The calculation unit 132 can obtain the axle configuration from the vehicle information stored in the storage unit 12. When the tire 30 is mounted as a front wheel, the load on the tire 30 is greater than when it is mounted as a rear wheel. This is because the front tire is continuously subjected to a high load regardless of whether the vehicle 20, which is a truck, is empty or loaded. For the rear tire, the load on the inner rear wheel is greater than that on the outer rear wheel. Furthermore, when a load is applied to the tire 30 and the pressure (internal pressure) increases, the temperature (internal tire temperature) also increases.

[0042] FIG. 4 is a one-dimensional graph in which the median internal temperatures of the tires 30 are arranged from the right side in descending order. The calculation unit 132 calculates the median for a certain period (e.g., two days, three days, or one week) from the temperature data of each tire 30 obtained as input data. The calculation unit 132 ranks the tires 30 starting with the tire with the highest median temperature. It is known that the internal temperatures of tires 30 in the same group become approximately equal while the vehicle 20 is traveling. The calculation unit 132 provisionally estimates the four tires 30 with the highest median temperature as a group of front tires (group G1). The calculation unit 132 may also provisionally estimate the four tires 30 with the highest median temperature of the remaining eight tires 30 as a group of inner rear tires (group G2-2). The calculation unit 132 may provisionally estimate the other four tires 30 as a group of outer rear tires (group G2-1).

[0043] The calculation unit 132 uses the tire with the highest median temperature among the four tires 30 in each of the three groups as the reference. That is, the calculation unit 132 determines a reference front tire, a reference inner rear tire, and a reference outer rear tire. The calculation unit 132 plots temperatures at the same time, with the horizontal axis (X-axis) representing the temperature of the reference tire 30 and the vertical axis (Y-axis) representing the temperatures of the other tires 30 that are not the reference (see FIGS. 5A to 5D). The calculation unit 132 uses the line Y=X as the reference line and verifies whether there are any tires in the temperature distribution within the group whose slope and intercept differ by a certain amount or more (i.e., whether they are significantly different). If there are no tires that are significantly different, the calculation unit 132 confirms the provisionally determined group; if there are any tires that are significantly different, the calculation unit 132 replaces them with the next tire 30 in the temperature order and then verifies again.

[0044] The verification will be described in detail with reference to Figures 5A to 5D. Figure 5A shows plots made for all tires 30 as described above, with a reference front tire being used as the reference tire 30. There are three groups with different slopes. Figure 5B shows a provisional group of front tires (group G1) with the reference front tire plotted on the horizontal axis. The tires 30 in group G1 are distributed in a narrow, nearly linear range. In the example of Figure 5B, the calculation unit 132 confirms the provisionally determined group of front tires (group G1). Figure 5C shows a provisional group of inner rear tires (group G2-2) with the reference inner rear tire plotted on the horizontal axis. Figure 5D shows a provisional group of outer rear tires (group G2-1) with the reference outer rear tire plotted on the horizontal axis. The calculation unit 132 performs the same verification on the provisional group of inner rear tires as on the front tire group. Once the provisionally determined group of inner rear tires (group G2-2) is confirmed through verification, the determination of whether the tire 30 is mounted on the front wheel, inner rear wheel, or outer rear wheel is completed.

[0045] The calculation unit 132 then determines by calculation whether the vehicle 20 is loaded with cargo close to the maximum load. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the difference in temperature distribution of the rear tires relative to the temperature of the front tires. The left diagram in FIG. 6 shows the temperature distribution of the rear tires relative to the temperature of the reference front tires. The reference front tires and reference line here are the same as those described above in FIGS. 5A to 5D. The rear tires are the inner and outer rear tires combined. As described above, the front tires are subjected to a heavy load. The rear tires are subjected to a lighter load than the front tires, and the load is particularly light when the vehicle 20 is empty or lightly loaded. Therefore, when the vehicle 20 is empty or lightly loaded, the temperature distribution of the rear tires will not be plotted in the region (R2) close to the reference line, as shown in the lower right diagram in FIG. 6, and will be plotted only in the region (R1) indicating a lighter load compared to the front tires. In contrast, when the vehicle 20 is loaded with cargo close to the maximum load, the temperature distribution of the rear tire also has plots in the region (R2) close to the reference line, as shown in the upper right diagram of Fig. 6. Therefore, the calculation unit 132 can determine whether the vehicle 20 is loaded with cargo based on the difference in the temperature distribution of the rear tire. The calculation unit 132 can determine whether the vehicle 20 is loaded with cargo in this way, and calculate the loaded distance from information on the position of the vehicle 20 loaded with cargo.

[0046] The calculation unit 132 may calculate a gained elevation by accumulating the elevation difference when the vehicle 20 climbs a slope based on the position of the vehicle 20, and may use the gained elevation to calculate an evaluation value. At this time, the acquisition unit 131 acquires input data including information on the position of the vehicle 20. The calculation unit 132 may calculate the evaluation value by multiplying the gained elevation by a coefficient per unit elevation (e.g., 100 m) as an evaluation coefficient. The calculation of the gained elevation may be performed in addition to the calculation of values ​​other than the gained elevation, such as the cumulative turning angle. For example, when the vehicle 20 travels in mountainous areas, there are more slopes than when traveling in an urban area, and the load on the tires 30 is greater. The greater the gained elevation, the greater the load on the tires 30. The calculation unit 132 uses the gained elevation to accurately evaluate road conditions that affect the deterioration of the tires 30, and as a result, can accurately evaluate the magnitude of the load on the tires 30.

[0047] The calculation unit 132 may calculate an acquired speed by accumulating the speed difference when the vehicle 20 accelerates based on the speed of the vehicle 20, and may use the acquired speed to calculate the evaluation value. At this time, the acquisition unit 131 acquires input data including information on the speed of the vehicle 20. The calculation unit 132 may calculate the evaluation value by multiplying the acquired speed by a coefficient per unit speed (e.g., 1 km / h) as an evaluation coefficient. The calculation of the acquired speed may be performed in addition to the calculation of values ​​other than the acquired speed, such as the accumulated turning angle. For example, when the vehicle 20 accelerates frequently, the load on the tires 30 increases. The higher the acquired speed, the greater the load on the tires 30. The calculation unit 132 uses the acquired speed to accurately evaluate the magnitude of acceleration that affects the deterioration of the tires 30, and as a result, can accurately evaluate the magnitude of the load on the tires 30.

[0048] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating elevation gain and speed gain. As described above, elevation gain accumulates elevation differences when going up a slope, but does not accumulate elevation differences when going down a slope. While elevation differences may cancel out in the case of simple accumulation, using the elevation gain allows for accurate calculation of road conditions that affect tire 30 degradation. In the example of FIG. 7 , the elevation gain is calculated as (600 m - 300 m) + (750 m - 350 m), which is 700 m. The speed gain is calculated by replacing the elevation in the elevation gain with speed and replacing going up a slope with acceleration. As described above, the speed gain accumulates speed differences when the vehicle 20 accelerates, but does not accumulate speed differences when decelerating. While speed differences may cancel out in the case of simple accumulation, using the speed gain allows for accurate calculation of the magnitude of acceleration that affects tire 30 degradation. In the example of Figure 7, the gain speed is calculated as (60km / h-30km / h)+(75km / h-35km / h), which is 70km / h.

[0049] The calculation unit 132 may calculate an off-road distance, which is the cumulative distance traveled by the vehicle 20 off-road, based on the position and acceleration of the vehicle 20, and may use the off-road distance to calculate an evaluation value. At this time, the acquisition unit 131 acquires input data including information on the position and acceleration of the vehicle 20. The calculation unit 132 may calculate the evaluation value by multiplying the off-road distance by a coefficient per unit distance (e.g., 1 km) as an evaluation coefficient. The calculation of the off-road distance may be performed in addition to the calculation of values ​​other than the off-road distance, such as the cumulative turning angle. The longer the off-road distance, the greater the load on the tires 30. The calculation unit 132 uses the off-road distance to accurately evaluate road conditions that affect the deterioration of the tires 30, and as a result, can accurately evaluate the magnitude of the load on the tires 30.

[0050] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the determination of off-road status based on acceleration. For example, the calculation unit 132 may determine that the vehicle 20 is traveling off-road if, in the relationship between the maximum amplitude of vibration calculated based on acceleration and the speed of the vehicle 20, there is an amplitude exceeding a threshold. Here, the maximum amplitude of vibration can be determined by the root mean square (RMS) over a predetermined interval (specifically, a one-second interval). The horizontal axis of FIG. 8 represents the speed of the vehicle 20. The vertical axis of FIG. 8 represents the RMS amplitude of acceleration in the height direction (vertical direction). The acceleration amplitude (the amplitude of vibration calculated based on acceleration) is the amplitude when continuous changes in acceleration on the time axis are treated as vibration. The calculation unit 132 extracts the speed from the driving history data of the vehicle 20 to be detected, calculates the RMS amplitude, and plots these as shown in FIG. 8. As the speed of the vehicle 20 increases, the acceleration in the height direction, which is the shaking during normal driving, also increases. The threshold for the RMS amplitude of acceleration in the height direction during normal driving is proportional to the speed. Therefore, a straight line corresponding to the threshold value is determined as shown in Fig. 8. The straight line corresponding to the threshold value may be determined from the upper limit value of driving history data of the vehicle 20 traveling on a paved road (on-road) obtained through an experiment, for example. Alternatively, the straight line corresponding to the threshold value may be determined by machine learning or a statistical method using driving history data of a plurality of vehicles 20. In this way, the calculation unit 132 can determine that the vehicle 20 is traveling off-road, and calculate the off-road distance from the information on the position of the vehicle 20.

[0051] Here, the calculation unit 132 may calculate the evaluation value using the mileage of the vehicle 20 and the number of days the tire 30 has been installed. That is, the calculation unit 132 may also evaluate the magnitude of the load on the tire 30 as a base based on the amount of use of the tire 30. At this time, the acquisition unit 131 acquires input data including information on the mileage of the vehicle 20 and the number of days the tire 30 has been installed. The greater the amount of use of the tire 30, the greater the load on the tire 30. The calculation unit 132 evaluates the amount of use that affects the deterioration of the tire 30, and as a result, can evaluate the magnitude of the load on the tire 30 with high accuracy.

[0052] The determination unit 133 determines the price of the lease, etc., of the tire 30 based on the evaluation value calculated by the calculation unit 132. The determination unit 133 may determine the price of the lease, etc., of the tire 30 by converting the evaluation value into a price. At this time, the determination unit 133 may execute the process of converting the evaluation value into a price by replacing the evaluation coefficient with a charging rate in the calculation of the evaluation value by the calculation unit 132 described above. The determination unit 133 may also convert some of the evaluation values ​​as a basic fee and convert other evaluation values ​​as an optional fee to be added to the basic fee. For example, the determination unit 133 may determine the basic fee from an evaluation value based on information about the mileage of the vehicle 20 and the number of days the tire 30 has been installed, and determine the optional fee from an evaluation value based on, for example, the cumulative turning angle that indicates additional load on the tire 30. In other words, the optional fee may be determined from an evaluation value based on elements other than the mileage and the number of days the tire 30 has been installed, among the elements used to calculate the evaluation value. At this time, the price of the lease, etc., of the tire 30 may be determined by adding the optional fee to the basic fee. The price of the tire 30 leased or otherwise determined by the determination unit 133 may be used as the amount billed to the service user, or as an estimated price when the tire 30 is used under the same conditions as the vehicle 20. The same conditions may include, for example, the same type of business in which the vehicle 20 is used (for example, the transportation industry when the vehicle 20 is a truck for transportation). The same conditions may also include, for example, the same region in which the vehicle 20 is used (for example, urban or mountainous area). The same conditions may also include, for example, the same vehicle type (for example, truck or bus). The tire management device 10 is applied to determining the price of the tire 30 leased or otherwise, enabling fair pricing that takes into account the magnitude of the load on the tire 30. The price setting period can be set to a short period (for example, one month) instead of the conventional long period (for example, one year). The impact on the lifespan of the tire 30 may also be taken into account when determining the price of the tire 30 lease or otherwise. For example, driving with frequent sudden acceleration not only increases wear on the tire 30 but also accumulates damage to the inside of the tire 30, which may affect whether or not the tire can be retreaded.When the number of possible retreads decreases due to accumulation of internal damage, the lifespan of the tire 30 is evaluated as being shortened. Here, retreading refers to scraping the surface of the tread rubber of the tire 30 and applying new rubber to reuse the tire.

[0053] The output unit 134 outputs the price (determination result) of the tire 30 lease or the like determined by the determination unit 133 to the terminal device 50 or the like. The output unit 134 may also output the evaluation value calculated by the calculation unit 132 to the terminal device 50 or the like. For example, the output unit 134 may output the price of the tire 30 lease or the like, which is the billed amount, to the terminal device 50 used by the service user. For example, the output unit 134 may also output the price of the tire 30 lease or the like, which is the estimated amount, to the terminal device 50 used by the service provider. For example, by presenting multiple estimated amounts to the terminal device 50, a person considering leasing or the like of the tire 30 can select an appropriate plan.

[0054] The tire management device 10 according to this embodiment may execute the following processing of the tire management method. FIG. 9 is an example of a flowchart illustrating the processing of the tire management method according to this embodiment. First, the acquisition unit 131 acquires input data including information about the usage state of the tire 30 detected by the detection device 70 mounted on the vehicle 20 (step S1). Next, the calculation unit 132 calculates an evaluation value related to the load on the tire 30 based on the input data and an evaluation coefficient (step S2). Here, the evaluation coefficient is set in advance depending on the type of information included in the input data or the type of value calculated based on the information included in the input data, as described above. Furthermore, the determination unit 133 may determine the price of leasing, etc., of the tire 30 to the user of the vehicle 20 based on the calculated evaluation value (step S3). Furthermore, the output unit 134 may output the determined price of leasing, etc., of the tire 30 to the terminal device 50 or the like (step S4).

[0055] As described above, the tire management device 10, program, and tire management method according to the present embodiment, with the above-described configuration, can evaluate the magnitude of the load on the tire 30 through simple calculation. The tire management device 10, program, and tire management method according to the present embodiment are applied to determining the price for leasing or subscribing to the tire 30, and enable reasonable pay-per-use billing through fair pricing that takes into account the magnitude of the load on the tire 30.

[0056] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that a person skilled in the art would easily be able to make various modifications or alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications or alterations are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or step can be rearranged so as not to cause logical inconsistencies, and multiple components or steps can be combined into one or divided. The embodiments of the present disclosure can also be realized as a storage medium on which a program executed by a processor provided in an apparatus is recorded. It should be understood that these are also included in the scope of the present disclosure. Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) led by the United Nations

[0057] The SDGs have been proposed to realize a sustainable society. One embodiment of the present disclosure is believed to be a technology that can contribute to "No. 9: Build resilient infrastructure for industry, innovation and other areas." [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 10 Tire management device 11 Communications Department 12 Storage section 13 Control Unit 20 vehicles 30 tires 40 Network 50 Terminal Equipment 70 Detection Device 80 In-vehicle communication device 90 Storage device 131 Acquisition Department 132 Calculation Unit 133 Judgment section 134 Output section

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires input data including information about the tire usage state detected by a detection device mounted on the vehicle; a calculation unit that calculates an evaluation value related to the load on the tire based on the input data and an evaluation coefficient that is set according to the type of information contained in the input data or the value calculated based on the information contained in the input data.

2. the input data includes information about the yaw angle of the vehicle; The tire management device according to claim 1 , wherein the calculation unit calculates a cumulative turning angle based on the yaw angle, and calculates the evaluation value using the cumulative turning angle.

3. the input data includes information about the position and yaw angle of the vehicle; The tire management device according to claim 1 , wherein the calculation unit calculates a turning radius based on the position and the yaw angle, and calculates the evaluation value using the turning radius.

4. the input data includes information about the vehicle's location and the tire's temperature; The tire management device according to claim 1 , wherein the calculation unit calculates a loaded distance, which is a distance traveled by the vehicle with the load loaded, based on the position and the temperature, and calculates the evaluation value using the loaded distance.

5. the input data includes information about the location of the vehicle; The tire management device according to claim 1 , wherein the calculation unit calculates an elevation gain by accumulating an elevation difference when the vehicle climbs a slope based on the position, and calculates the evaluation value using the elevation gain.

6. the input data includes information about the speed of the vehicle; The tire management device according to claim 1 , wherein the calculation unit calculates an acquired speed by accumulating speed differences when the vehicle accelerates based on the speed, and calculates the evaluation value using the acquired speed.

7. the input data includes position and acceleration information of the vehicle; The tire management device according to claim 1 , wherein the calculation unit calculates an off-road distance, which is a cumulative distance traveled by the vehicle off-road, based on the position and the acceleration, and calculates the evaluation value using the off-road distance.

8. The input data includes information on the mileage of the vehicle and the number of days the tires have been installed, The tire management device according to claim 1 , wherein the calculation unit calculates the evaluation value using the mileage and the number of days the tire has been worn.

9. The tire management device according to claim 1 , further comprising a determination unit that determines a tire lease or subscription price for a user of the vehicle based on the calculated evaluation value.

10. For tire management devices, obtaining input data including information regarding the usage state of the tire detected by a detection device mounted on the vehicle; calculating an evaluation value related to the load on the tire based on the input data and an evaluation coefficient set according to information included in the input data or a type of value calculated based on the information included in the input data.

11. A tire management method executed by a tire management device, The tire management device includes: obtaining input data including information regarding the usage state of the tire detected by a detection device mounted on the vehicle; calculating an evaluation value related to the load on the tire based on the input data and an evaluation coefficient set according to information contained in the input data or a type of value calculated based on the information contained in the input data.

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