Tire maintenance support device and tire maintenance support method

Abstract

To provide a tire maintenance support device and a tire maintenance support method capable of displaying a residual groove amount of tires and a travel state of a vehicle to easily grasp the trend in change in the residual groove amount of the tires.SOLUTION: A tire maintenance support device 100 comprises a travel state acquisition unit 32, a tire information acquisition unit 33, and a display processing unit 34. The travel state acquisition unit 32 acquires time-series travel state data of a vehicle. The tire information acquisition unit 33 acquires time-series residual groove amount data of tires mounted on the vehicle. The display processing unit 34 generates a graph indicating time transition of the residual groove amount data acquired by the tire information acquisition unit 33, and displays the graph and the travel state data acquired by the travel state acquisition unit 32 on a display device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tire maintenance assistance device and a tire maintenance assistance method for assisting in the maintenance of tires mounted on a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, tires wear depending on the driving conditions and distance traveled, and the amount of wear also varies depending on the axle position on which the tire is mounted. When the remaining tread depth, which is the depth of the grooves in the tire, falls below a specified amount, maintenance such as tire replacement is required.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a conventional tire maintenance support device. This tire maintenance support device includes a tire information acquisition unit, a replacement time calculation unit, and a replacement number calculation unit. The tire information acquisition unit acquires predicted data on the remaining tread depth of tires mounted on each of a plurality of vehicles under operational management. The replacement time calculation unit calculates the replacement time for each tire from the predicted data on the remaining tread depth acquired by the tire information acquisition unit. The replacement number calculation unit tallys up the replacement times calculated by the replacement time calculation unit for each period on a time axis and calculates the number of tire replacements for each period. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-40784 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The tire maintenance support device described in Patent Document 1 calculates tire replacement times for multiple vehicles based on the remaining tread depth, and by tallying the number of tires to be replaced for each period, it is possible to improve the efficiency of maintenance planning. In conventional tire maintenance, data on the remaining tread depth of tires is presented, but the vehicle's driving conditions, which affect the change in the remaining tread depth, are not presented, making it difficult for users to understand the factors behind the trend in the change in the remaining tread depth, or, for example, the reason for a sudden change in the remaining tread depth.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a tire maintenance support device and a tire maintenance support method that can display the remaining tread depth of a tire as well as the vehicle's driving conditions, making it easier to understand the trend in the remaining tread depth of the tire. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A tire maintenance assistance device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a driving condition acquisition unit that acquires time-series driving condition data of a vehicle, a tire information acquisition unit that acquires time-series remaining tread depth data of tires mounted on the vehicle, and a display processing unit that generates a graph showing the time evolution of the remaining tread depth data acquired by the tire information acquisition unit and displays the graph and the driving condition data acquired by the driving condition acquisition unit on a display device.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is a tire maintenance support method, which includes a driving condition acquisition step of acquiring time-series driving condition data of a vehicle, a tire information acquisition step of acquiring time-series remaining tread depth data of tires mounted on the vehicle, and a display processing step of generating a graph showing time-series changes in the remaining tread depth data acquired in the tire information acquisition step and displaying the graph and the driving condition data acquired in the driving condition acquisition step on a display device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, the driving conditions of the vehicle are presented together with the remaining tread depth of the tire, making it easier to grasp the trend of changes in the remaining tread depth of the tire. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a tire maintenance support system including a tire maintenance support device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the tire management server device. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining wear amount estimation and learning of a calculation model. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the tire maintenance support device. [Figure 5] 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure for displaying tire maintenance information by the tire maintenance support device. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a display of tire maintenance information. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another example of displaying tire maintenance information. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing yet another example of displaying tire maintenance information. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to Figures 1 to 8. The same or equivalent components and members shown in each drawing are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted where appropriate. The dimensions of the members in each drawing are enlarged or reduced as appropriate for ease of understanding. Some members that are not important for explaining the embodiments will be omitted from the drawings.

[0012] (Embodiment) 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a tire maintenance support system 110 including a tire maintenance support device 100 according to an embodiment. The tire maintenance support system 110 includes a tire wear measurement device 60, an on-board measurement device 70, a tire management server device 80, and the tire maintenance support device 100. The tire maintenance support device 100 acquires information related to the maintenance of tires 7 mounted on multiple vehicles under operational management from the tire management server device 80, and provides the user with information such as tire remaining tread depth data and vehicle driving conditions. In the following description, information related to the maintenance of tires 7 will be referred to as tire maintenance information, and the tire maintenance information will include information such as tire remaining tread depth data and vehicle driving conditions.

[0013] The tires 7 are mounted on a plurality of vehicles, such as transport trucks operated and managed by a transport company or the like. The user can obtain tire maintenance information provided by the tire maintenance assistance device 100 for the plurality of tires 7 mounted on each vehicle. The tire maintenance information includes, for example, current and past data on the remaining tread depth of the tires 7, as well as predicted data for a predetermined period from the present, and vehicle driving condition data. The driving condition data is data that affects the transition of the remaining tread depth of the tires 7, such as the vehicle's mileage. The driving condition data includes information measured on the vehicle, such as the vehicle's turning radius, vehicle acceleration, and mileage, as well as tire load data calculated using all or part of information measured on the tires 7, such as the tire's 7 air pressure and temperature. The tire load data is data that affects the transition of the remaining tread depth of the tires 7.

[0014] The tire wear measurement device 60 directly measures the depth of the grooves in the tread of the tire 7 multiple times over a predetermined period (several months to several years) to obtain the remaining groove depth of the tire 7. The tire wear measurement device 60 transmits the measured remaining groove depth data of the tire 7 to the tire management server device 80 via the communication network 9. A tire maintenance worker may measure the depth of each groove using a measuring tool, a camera, or visually, and the tire wear measurement device 60 may store the measurement data entered by the worker. Alternatively, the tire wear measurement device 60 may be a dedicated device that measures groove depth using a mechanical or optical method and stores the remaining groove depth.

[0015] Specifically, for example, if a tire has four grooves, the tire wear measurement device 60 measures the depth at four locations in the width direction and then measures the depth at three locations in the circumferential direction of the same groove, for example, at 120° intervals. This allows data on uneven wear in the width direction or circumferential direction of the tire to be stored in the tire wear measurement device 60. Note that, because tire diameter changes with wear, the tire wear measurement device 60 may indirectly measure groove depth by calculation based on information on the mileage and tire rotation speed and velocity. In addition, a device that directly measures groove depth may be used in combination with a device that predicts groove depth by calculation based on the mileage and tire rotation speed and velocity.

[0016] The on-vehicle measuring device 70 is mounted on a vehicle and has a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, etc., attached to the tire 7 to measure the air pressure, temperature, etc. of the tire 7. The temperature sensor and pressure sensor are disposed on the air valve, etc., of the tire 7 attached to the vehicle, or are firmly wrapped around and fixed to the wheel with a belt, etc. The temperature sensor may also be disposed on the inner liner, etc., of the tire 7. The on-vehicle measuring device 70 transmits data such as the air pressure and temperature of the tire 7 to the tire management server device 80 via the communication network 9.

[0017] The on-vehicle measuring device 70 also measures the vehicle speed, the vehicle's current position information (latitude, longitude, and altitude), the vehicle's acceleration in three axial directions, etc., using a speedometer, a GPS receiver, an acceleration sensor, etc. mounted on the vehicle. The on-vehicle measuring device 70 transmits data such as the vehicle speed, the vehicle's position information, and the vehicle's acceleration to the tire management server device 80 via the communication network 9.

[0018] 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the tire management server device 80. The tire management server device 80 has a communication unit 81, a storage unit 82, and a processing unit 83. Each unit in the tire management server device 80 can be realized in hardware terms by electronic processing circuits and mechanical parts made up of electronic elements such as a computer CPU, and in software terms by computer programs, etc., but here, functional blocks realized by the cooperation of these elements are depicted. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by combining hardware and software.

[0019] The communication unit 81 is connected to the communication network 9 via wireless or wired communication, and communicates with the tire wear measurement device 60, the on-board measurement device 70, and the tire maintenance support device 100. The memory unit 82 is a storage device configured, for example, by an SSD (Solid State Drive), a hard disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD, etc. The memory unit 82 stores vehicle management information 82a, vehicle measurement information 82b, tire measurement information 82c, etc.

[0020] The vehicle management information 82a is information relating to a plurality of vehicles and tires 7 operated and managed by, for example, a transportation company, and includes vehicle specification data, vehicle identification information assigned to each vehicle, axle arrangement information, tire identification information, tire specification data, etc. The vehicle specification data includes information relating to vehicle performance, such as the manufacturer, vehicle name, vehicle model, vehicle weight, drive train, overall length, vehicle width, vehicle height, and maximum load capacity. The axle arrangement information includes information relating to the mounting position of the tires 7 on the axle arrangement.

[0021] The tire identification information is information such as a serial number assigned to each tire 7, and may be readably stored in an RFID tag embedded in the tire 7. The tire specification data includes information such as the manufacturer, product name, tire size, tire width, aspect ratio, wear resistance, tire strength, static stiffness, dynamic stiffness, tire outer diameter, load index, and manufacturing date.

[0022] The vehicle measurement information 82b is data such as the speed, acceleration, and position information of the vehicle obtained from the on-vehicle measurement device 70. The tire measurement information 82c is data such as the air pressure and temperature measured in the tire 7 obtained from the on-vehicle measurement device 70.

[0023] The processing unit 83 has a vehicle information acquisition unit 83a, a driving condition calculation unit 83b, and a tire wear calculation unit 83c. The vehicle information acquisition unit 83a acquires vehicle measurement information such as vehicle speed, acceleration, and position information, as well as tire measurement information such as air pressure and temperature measured in the tires 7, from the on-board measurement device 70 via the communication unit 81. The vehicle measurement information and tire measurement information are associated with vehicle identification information and information on the mounting position of the tires 7, and include information on the date and time of measurement. The vehicle information acquisition unit 83a stores the acquired vehicle measurement information and tire measurement information in the memory unit 82 as vehicle measurement information 82b and tire measurement information 82c.

[0024] The vehicle information acquisition unit 83a also acquires time-series measurement data of the remaining tread depth of the tire 7 measured by the tire wear measurement device 60 via the communication unit 81, and stores the data as part of tire remaining tread depth data 82d in the storage unit 82. The tire remaining tread depth data 82d is associated with vehicle identification information and information on the mounting position of the tire 7, and includes information on the date and time when the remaining tread depth was measured.

[0025] The traveling condition calculation unit 83b can calculate the traveling distance of the vehicle based on the position information of the vehicle measurement information 82b. The traveling distance of the vehicle may also be calculated based on the speed data in the vehicle measurement information 82b and the time data associated with the speed data. That is, the traveling distance of the vehicle can be calculated by multiplying the speed data arranged in chronological order by the time difference until the next time point.

[0026] If information regarding the vehicle's mileage is provided by the vehicle or an external device for vehicle management, the driving situation calculation unit 83b does not need to calculate the mileage itself, and may acquire information regarding the mileage from the vehicle or the external device. Here, the driving situation calculation unit 83b calculates or acquires past mileage including the current time. The driving situation calculation unit 83b stores the calculated or acquired time-series mileage in the storage unit 82 as part of the driving situation data 82e. The mileage data in the driving situation data 82e is associated with the vehicle's identification information, includes the date and time when the mileage was calculated, and is time-series data indicating the change in the vehicle's mileage over time.

[0027] The driving condition calculation unit 83b calculates driving prediction data that predicts the time-series driving distance from the present time until a predetermined time later. The driving condition calculation unit 83b predicts the driving distance from the present time until a predetermined time later by, for example, averaging past driving distances including the present time. For example, the driving condition calculation unit 83b calculates the average value of the driving distance that occurred each month in the past for the driving distance from the present time until a predetermined time later, i.e., six months from the present time, and predicts that the average driving distance will occur each month until six months from now.

[0028] The traveling condition calculation unit 83b sets the predicted traveling distance in time series up to the end of the predetermined period as traveling prediction data related to traveling distance, and stores this as part of the traveling condition data 82e in the storage unit 82. For example, if there is a period (e.g., an off-season or a lush growing season) between the present time and the end of the predetermined period in which the frequency of transportation is expected to increase or decrease, the traveling condition calculation unit 83b may adjust the traveling prediction data related to traveling distance by calculating a value obtained by multiplying the traveling distance for that period by a coefficient (e.g., 2 times or 0.5 times).

[0029] When the air pressure of a tire 7 is lower than a predetermined threshold, or when the temperature of a tire 7 is higher than a predetermined threshold, the driving condition calculation unit 83b calculates the tire load amount for each past period (for example, every month) by multiplying each of the air pressure and temperature by the vehicle's travel distance and integrating the results, and stores the tire load amount as part of the driving condition data 82e in the storage unit 82. Here, the driving condition calculation unit 83b calculates the tire load amount for each past period including the present time in a chronological order. The tire load amount data in the driving condition data 82e is associated with the vehicle identification information, the mounting position of the tire 7, and the tire identification information, includes the date and time when the tire load amount was calculated, and is chronological data that shows the change in tire load amount over time.

[0030] The traveling condition calculation unit 83b may calculate the tire load amount using the traveled distance and at least one of the air pressure and temperature of the tire 7. When the air pressure of the tire 7 is lower than a predetermined threshold, the traveling condition calculation unit 83b calculates the tire load amount by multiplying the air pressure by the traveled distance and integrating the result, and when the temperature of the tire 7 is higher than the predetermined threshold, the traveling condition calculation unit 83b calculates the tire load amount by multiplying the temperature by the traveled distance and integrating the result. Considering that the lower the air pressure of the tire 7, the greater the load on the tire 7, the greater the tire load amount may be calculated by calculating the reciprocal of the air pressure, for example, and multiplying the result by the traveled distance.

[0031] The driving condition calculation unit 83b calculates driving prediction data that predicts tire loads over time from the present time until a predetermined time later. The driving condition calculation unit 83b predicts tire loads for each period from the present time until a predetermined time later, for example, by averaging past tire loads including the present time. For example, the driving condition calculation unit 83b calculates an average tire load that occurred each month in the past for the predetermined period from the present time until six months later, and predicts that the average tire load will occur each month until six months later.

[0032] The driving condition calculation unit 83b sets the predicted time-series tire load amount up to a predetermined time period into the future as driving prediction data related to the tire load amount, and stores this as part of the driving condition data 82e in the storage unit 82. For example, if there is a period between the present time and a predetermined time period in which the frequency of transportation is expected to increase or decrease, the driving condition calculation unit 83b may adjust the driving prediction data related to the tire load amount by calculating a value obtained by multiplying the tire load amount for that period by a coefficient (for example, 2 times or 0.5 times).

[0033] The tire wear calculation unit 83c reads and acquires data used as appropriate for estimating the amount of wear of the tires 7, such as specification data of the vehicle and the tires 7, from the storage unit 82. The tire wear calculation unit 83c also acquires information such as axle arrangement information and tire identification information stored in the storage unit 82.

[0034] The tire wear calculation unit 83c has a calculation model 84 and estimates the amount of wear of the tire 7. The calculation model 84 is a machine learning model that calculates the amount of wear of the tire 7 based on input information. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining the wear amount estimation and learning of the calculation model 84. The input data to the calculation model 84 is roughly classified into vehicle measurement information, tire measurement information, and other information.

[0035] The input data related to the vehicle measurement information includes the acceleration and travel distance of the vehicle. The travel distance is calculated by the travel situation calculation unit 83b as described above, and is read from the travel situation data 82e in the storage unit 82. The acceleration is read from the vehicle measurement information 82b in the storage unit 82. The input data related to the tire measurement information includes the air pressure and temperature of the tire 7, and is read from the tire measurement information 82c in the storage unit 82.

[0036] The input data based on other information includes road surface conditions estimated based on weather information, the maximum vehicle load included in the vehicle specification data, and the wear resistance performance of the tire 7 included in the tire specification data. The wear resistance performance of the tire 7 is measured using, for example, a tire wear index value obtained by indexing the wear resistance performance of various tread compounds based on a Lambourn abrasion test, with a standard compound being set at 100.

[0037] The computational model 84 uses a machine learning model such as a neural network. The computational model 84 is constructed using a method such as a deep neural network (DNN) or a decision tree. The computational model 84 may also be a multiple linear regression model for input information, which is generated by learning.

[0038] The data on the remaining tread depth of the tire 7 measured by the tire wear measuring device 60 is used as training data for the calculation model 84. The amount of tire wear is obtained by subtracting the remaining tread depth from the tread depth of the tire 7 in a new state. In the learning process of the calculation model 84, the amount of wear of the tire 7 is estimated by the calculation model 84 based on the input information and is compared with the training data. The calculation model 84 compares the estimated amount of wear of the tire 7 with the training data, and newly sets various coefficients in the calculation process, such as weighting, in the calculation model 84, and learning is performed by repeatedly updating the model.

[0039] The tire wear calculation unit 83c can estimate the amount of wear of the tire 7 using the trained calculation model 84, and calculate the remaining tread depth of the tire 7 by subtracting the amount of wear of the tire 7. The tire wear calculation unit 83c estimates the remaining tread depth of the tire 7 from the present time until a predetermined period of time has elapsed. For example, the predetermined period is set to six months, and the tire wear calculation unit 83c estimates the remaining tread depth of the tire 7 every other month. The tire wear calculation unit 83c sets the predicted remaining tread depth of the tire 7 until the predetermined period of time has elapsed as remaining tread depth prediction data, and stores this data in the memory unit 82 as part of the tire remaining tread depth data 82d.

[0040] In order to estimate the remaining tread depth of the tire 7 from the present time until a predetermined time later, the tire wear calculation unit 83c needs to set estimated values ​​for each piece of input data to the calculation model 84 from the present time until a predetermined time later. As described above, the input data is categorized into vehicle measurement information related, tire measurement information related, and other information, and the estimated values ​​of acceleration and mileage related to the vehicle measurement information may use average values ​​from the past. For the estimated value of mileage, the driving prediction data predicted by the driving situation calculation unit 83b may be used as described above.

[0041] Furthermore, the tire wear calculation unit 83c sets estimated values ​​for the air pressure and temperature of the tire 7 related to the tire measurement information, taking into account natural loss of air pressure and fluctuations in outside air temperature that will occur over a predetermined period from the present time. Furthermore, with regard to weather information among other information used as input data to the calculation model 84, the tire wear calculation unit 83c may estimate temperature fluctuations, precipitation, and the like that will occur over a predetermined period from the present time from past weather information, and estimate road surface conditions from the estimated precipitation.

[0042] 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the tire maintenance support device 100. The tire maintenance support device 100 includes a communication unit 10, an operation unit 12, a display unit 14, a storage unit 20, and a control unit 30, and presents tire maintenance information to a user. The tire maintenance support device 100 is an information processing device such as a smartphone or a personal computer.

[0043] Each unit in the tire maintenance assist device 100 can be realized in hardware terms by electronic processing circuits and mechanical parts made up of electronic elements such as a computer CPU, and in software terms by computer programs, etc. However, the functional blocks realized by the cooperation of these are depicted here. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by combining hardware and software.

[0044] The communication unit 10 is connected to the communication network 9 via wireless or wired communication and communicates with the tire management server device 80. The operation unit 12 is an operable input device such as a touch panel, a switch, a keyboard, or a mouse. The display unit 14 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display. By operating the operation unit 12, the user can obtain tire maintenance information from the tire management server device 80 and display it on the display unit 14.

[0045] The storage unit 20 is a storage device configured, for example, with an SSD (Solid State Drive), a hard disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD, etc. The storage unit 20 stores computer programs executed by the control unit 30, vehicle axle arrangement information and tire maintenance information acquired from the tire management server device 80, etc. The vehicle axle arrangement information is determined corresponding to, for example, the vehicle name and vehicle model, and may be stored in the storage unit 20.

[0046] The control unit 30 includes an operation reception unit 31, a driving condition acquisition unit 32, a tire information acquisition unit 33, and a display processing unit 34. The operation reception unit 31 receives operation input from the operation unit 12 of the user to specify a vehicle for which tire maintenance information is to be acquired. The operation reception unit 31 also receives operation input from the operation unit 12 of the user to select, regarding the driving condition, whether the mileage or the tire load amount is to be displayed.

[0047] The driving condition acquisition unit 32 acquires driving condition data 82e for a vehicle specified by, for example, a user's operation of the operation unit 12 from the tire management server device 80. The driving condition data 82e includes data on driving distances in the past and from the present up to a predetermined time period afterward. The driving condition data 82e also includes data on tire load amounts in the past and from the present up to a predetermined time period afterward.

[0048] The tire information acquisition unit 33 acquires, from the tire management server device 80, remaining tire tread depth data 82d for a vehicle specified by a user's operation via the operation unit 12. The remaining tire tread depth data 82d includes data on the remaining tire tread depths of each tire 7 mounted on the specified vehicle, both in the past and for a predetermined period from the present. The remaining tire tread depth data 82d is associated with information on the mounting position of the tire 7.

[0049] The display processing unit 34 generates a graph showing the time evolution of the driving condition data acquired by the driving condition acquisition unit 32 and a graph showing the time evolution of the tire remaining tread depth data acquired by the tire information acquisition unit 33, and displays these graphs side by side on the display unit 14. The display processing unit 34 may also display on the display unit 14 vehicle identification information and information on the mounting position of the tires in the axle arrangement.

[0050] Next, the operation of the tire maintenance support device 100 will be described. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the tire maintenance information display process by the tire maintenance support device 100. The operation reception unit 31 of the tire maintenance support device 100 receives an operation input from the operation unit 12 of a user who specifies a vehicle for which tire maintenance information is to be obtained (S1). The driving condition acquisition unit 32 acquires driving condition data 82e of the vehicle specified in step S1 from the tire management server device 80 (S2). The tire information acquisition unit 33 acquires remaining tire tread depth data 82d of the vehicle specified in step S1 from the tire management server device 80 (S3).

[0051] The display processing unit 34 generates a graph showing the time evolution of the driving condition data acquired by the driving condition acquisition unit 32, and a graph showing the time evolution of the tire remaining tread depth data acquired by the tire information acquisition unit 33 (S4). By previously receiving an operation input from the user via the operation reception unit 31 to select whether to display the driving distance or the tire load amount, in step S4 a graph showing the time evolution of either the driving distance or the tire load amount in relation to the driving condition data is generated.

[0052] The display processing unit 34 displays the graphs showing the time transitions of the driving condition data and the tire remaining groove depth data generated in step S4 on the display unit 14 (S5), and the process ends.

[0053] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the display of tire maintenance information. In the example shown in Fig. 6, the axle arrangement information indicates two axles A1 and A2 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, as well as tire positions B11, B12, etc., mounted on each axle. The axle arrangement information also indicates the minimum remaining tread depth of the multiple grooves on each tire at the current time T1 as a numerical value. For example, the minimum remaining tread depth of the tire at tire position B11 at the current time T1 is 11.5 mm.

[0054] FIG. 6 shows a graph depicting the time evolution of tire remaining tread depth data for tires at tire positions B11, B21, B22, and B23, with past data and predicted data for a predetermined period (four months from now) bounded by the current time T1. In FIG. 6, graphs of tire remaining tread depth data for other tire positions B12 and B24 may also be displayed. In the example shown in FIG. 6, if tire 7 has a remaining tread depth of 3 mm or more and 5 mm or less, tire replacement is recommended, and the tire removed from the vehicle is subject to reclamation, such as retreading. Furthermore, if tire 7 has a remaining tread depth of less than 3 mm, the tire is discarded.

[0055] In the example shown in Figure 6, it can be seen that the replacement time for the tires at positions B11 and B23 is still far away, the tire at position B22 will need to be replaced in July, three months from now, and the tire at position B21 will also need to be replaced soon after July. Furthermore, none of the tires have worn down to the point that they would need to be discarded within four months.

[0056] FIG. 6 displays a graph showing the change in mileage over time as driving condition data. The mileage graph shows the distance traveled by the vehicle for each month. The mileage from the current time T1 onward is set as an estimated value based on the past average value. As the mileage varies from month to month, the remaining tread depth data for tire 7 also varies, making it easier to grasp the trend in the change in remaining tread depth.

[0057] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the display of tire maintenance information. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the graphs showing the time-varying changes in axle arrangement information and remaining tire tread depth are the same as those in FIG. 6. In the example shown in FIG. 7, a graph showing the time-varying changes in tire load amount is displayed as driving condition data. The tire load amount graph shows the tire load amount generated by vehicle driving each month. The tire load amount uses values ​​normalized by a constant. The tire load amount from the current time T1 onwards is set as an estimated value using the past average value. As with the graph showing the time-varying changes in mileage in FIG. 6, monthly fluctuations in tire load amount cause the remaining tread depth data for tire 7 to also fluctuate, making it easier to grasp the trend in the change in remaining tire tread depth.

[0058] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing yet another example of the display of tire maintenance information. As with Fig. 6, Fig. 8 displays axle arrangement information, a graph showing time-varying tire remaining tread depth data, and a graph showing time-varying mileage. In the example shown in Fig. 8, it can be seen that the trend of decreasing tire remaining tread depth has intensified due to an increase in mileage in the most recent March.

[0059] If the estimated mileage calculated from the past average value continues to increase after the current time T1, it is clear that the tire at position B22 will need to be replaced soon. Furthermore, if the replacement timing of the tire at position B22 is overlooked, the remaining tread depth will be 3 mm or less, and the tire will have to be discarded.

[0060] The tire maintenance support device 100 generates, by the display processing unit 34, a graph showing the time evolution of the driving condition data acquired by the driving condition acquisition unit 32 and a graph showing the time evolution of the tire remaining tread depth data acquired by the tire information acquisition unit 33, and displays these graphs side by side on the display device. In this way, the tire maintenance support device 100 can present the vehicle driving conditions along with the tire remaining tread depth, making it easier to understand the trend in the evolution of the tire remaining tread depth.

[0061] The driving condition data displayed by the display processing unit 34 includes driving prediction data for driving conditions from the present until a predetermined time later. Furthermore, the remaining tread depth data displayed by the display processing unit 34 includes remaining tread depth prediction data from the present until a predetermined time later. This allows the tire maintenance support device 100 to easily grasp trends in the past and future changes in the remaining tread depth of tires.

[0062] The driving condition data displayed by the display processing unit 34 is data on the distance traveled by the vehicle. This allows the tire maintenance support device 100 to easily grasp the trend in the change in the remaining tire tread depth based on the change in the distance traveled over time.

[0063] The driving condition data displayed by the display processing unit 34 is data on the tire load calculated based on the vehicle's travel distance and at least one of the tire pressure and temperature. This allows the tire maintenance support device 100 to easily grasp the trend in the remaining tire tread depth based on the time-varying change in the tire load.

[0064] The display processing unit 34 displays the multiple tires 7 mounted on the vehicle on the same graph. This allows the tire maintenance support device 100 to present a graph that makes it easy to compare the remaining tread depth data of the multiple tires 7 mounted on the vehicle.

[0065] (Variation) In the above-described embodiment, the tire load amount is calculated based on the travel distance, tire pressure, and tire temperature. However, the tire load amount may also be calculated based on, for example, the vehicle's travel distance and acceleration. Tires mounted on a vehicle tend to wear more when the vehicle accelerates and decelerates. For this reason, the traveling condition calculation unit 83b of the tire management server device 80 may calculate the tire load amount by, for example, multiplying the travel distance by the absolute value of the vehicle's acceleration. The tire maintenance support device 100 acquires the tire load amount calculated based on the vehicle's travel distance and acceleration from the tire management server device 80 and displays it on a display device.

[0066] In the above-described embodiment, a graph showing the time evolution of the remaining tread depth data and a graph showing the time evolution of the driving condition data are generated and displayed side by side, but they may be displayed overlapping one graph. Numerical values ​​may also be displayed on the graph showing the time evolution of the remaining tread depth data and the driving condition data. Furthermore, the time evolution of one of the remaining tread depth data and the driving condition data may be displayed as a graph, and the other data may be displayed as numerical values ​​only.

[0067] In the above-described embodiment, the transportation business is not limited to a business that operates and manages transportation trucks, but also includes, for example, a taxi business, etc. Furthermore, the vehicle is not limited to a truck vehicle or a taxi vehicle, but also includes a rental vehicle from a rental business, a shared vehicle provided by a vehicle sharing business, a private car purchased by an ordinary household, etc.

[0068] The present invention has been described above based on the embodiments. These embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the claims of the present invention, and that such modifications and changes also fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention. Therefore, the descriptions and drawings in this specification should be treated as illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0069] When the technical ideas embodied in the above-described embodiments and modified examples are generalized, it can be said that the technical ideas described in the following items are included.

[0070] The first item is a tire maintenance support device that includes a driving condition acquisition unit that acquires time-series driving condition data of a vehicle, a tire information acquisition unit that acquires time-series remaining tread depth data of tires mounted on the vehicle, and a display processing unit that generates a graph showing the time evolution of the remaining tread depth data acquired by the tire information acquisition unit and displays the graph and the driving condition data acquired by the driving condition acquisition unit on a display device.

[0071] A second item is the tire maintenance assistance device according to the first item, wherein the display processing unit generates and displays a graph showing a time transition of the driving condition data.

[0072] A third item is a tire maintenance support device described in any one of the first and second items, wherein the driving condition data includes driving prediction data for driving conditions from the present until a predetermined period of time later, and the remaining tread depth data includes remaining tread depth prediction data for a predetermined period of time from the present.

[0073] A fourth item is the tire maintenance assistance device according to any one of the first to third items, wherein the driving condition data is data on a driving distance of a vehicle.

[0074] A fifth item is a tire maintenance support device described in any one of the first to third items, wherein the driving condition data is data on tire load calculated based on the vehicle's driving distance and at least one of air pressure and temperature.

[0075] A sixth item is the tire maintenance assistance device according to any one of the first to third items, wherein the driving condition data is data on tire load calculated based on the vehicle's driving distance and acceleration.

[0076] A seventh item is a tire maintenance support device according to any one of the first to sixth items, wherein the display processing unit displays a plurality of tires mounted on a vehicle on the same graph.

[0077] The eighth item is a tire maintenance support method including a driving condition acquisition step of acquiring time-series driving condition data of a vehicle, a tire information acquisition step of acquiring time-series remaining tread depth data of tires mounted on the vehicle, and a display processing step of generating a graph showing the time evolution of the remaining tread depth data acquired by the tire information acquisition step, and displaying the graph and the driving condition data acquired by the driving condition acquisition step on a display device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 7 Tire, 32 Driving condition acquisition unit, 33 Tire information acquisition unit, 34 Display processing unit, 100 Tire maintenance support device.

Claims

1. a driving condition acquisition unit that acquires time-series driving condition data of a vehicle; a tire information acquisition unit that acquires time-series data on remaining groove depth of tires mounted on a vehicle; a display processing unit that generates a graph showing time-varying changes in the remaining groove depth data acquired by the tire information acquisition unit, and displays the graph and the driving condition data acquired by the driving condition acquisition unit on a display device; A tire maintenance assistance device comprising:

2. The tire maintenance assisting device according to claim 1 , wherein the display processing unit generates and displays a graph showing the time evolution of the driving condition data.

3. The driving condition data includes driving prediction data regarding driving conditions from the present to a predetermined period afterward, The tire maintenance support device according to claim 1 , wherein the remaining tread depth data includes remaining tread depth prediction data for a predetermined period from the present.

4. The tire maintenance assisting device according to claim 1 , wherein the driving condition data is data on a driving distance of the vehicle.

5. 2. The tire maintenance assisting device according to claim 1, wherein the driving condition data is data on a tire load calculated based on a vehicle driving distance and at least one of an air pressure and a temperature.

6. 2. The tire maintenance assisting device according to claim 1, wherein the driving condition data is data on tire load calculated based on a driving distance and acceleration of the vehicle.

7. The tire maintenance assistance device according to claim 1 , wherein the display processing unit displays a plurality of tires mounted on a vehicle on the same graph.

8. a driving status acquisition step of acquiring time-series driving status data of the vehicle; a tire information acquisition step of acquiring time-series data on remaining tread depth of tires mounted on a vehicle; a display processing step of generating a graph showing time-varying changes in the remaining groove depth data acquired in the tire information acquisition step, and displaying the graph and the driving condition data acquired in the driving condition acquisition step on a display device; A tire maintenance support method comprising:

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