Tire maintenance support device, tire maintenance support method, and tire maintenance support system

Abstract

The present invention provides a tire maintenance support device and a tire maintenance support method that can present an efficient maintenance plan based on the predicted lifespan of the tires. [Solution] The tire maintenance support device 100 includes a tire information acquisition unit 31, a lifespan timing calculation unit 32, and a maintenance plan generation unit 33. The tire information acquisition unit 31 acquires predicted data on the remaining tread depth of tires mounted on vehicles under operation management. The lifespan timing calculation unit 32 calculates the lifespan timing Tf of the tires based on the predicted data acquired by the tire information acquisition unit 31. The maintenance plan generation unit 33 generates a tire maintenance plan for replacing the tires based on the lifespan timing Tf calculated by the lifespan timing calculation unit 32. The maintenance plan generation unit 33 modifies the tire maintenance plan to replace the tires in accordance with the timing Tc of the vehicle's periodic inspection scheduled to be carried out immediately before the lifespan timing Tf.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a tire maintenance support device, a tire maintenance support method, and a tire maintenance support system for assisting in the maintenance of tires mounted on vehicles.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, tires wear according to the driving state, driving distance, etc., and the amount of wear also varies depending on the axle position where the tires are mounted. When the remaining groove amount, which is the depth of the groove provided in the tire, becomes less than a predetermined amount, maintenance such as replacement becomes necessary.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a conventional tire maintenance support device. This tire maintenance support device includes a tire information acquisition unit, a replacement timing calculation unit, and a replacement number calculation unit. The tire information acquisition unit acquires prediction data of the remaining groove amount of the tires mounted on each of a plurality of vehicles under operation management. The replacement timing calculation unit calculates the replacement timing of each tire from the prediction data of the remaining groove amount acquired by the tire information acquisition unit. The replacement number calculation unit aggregates the replacement timings calculated by the replacement timing calculation unit for each period on the time axis to calculate the number of tire replacements for each period.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The tire maintenance support device described in Patent Document 1 can improve the efficiency of maintenance planning by calculating the replacement timing for multiple vehicles based on the remaining tread depth and aggregating the number of tires replaced for each period. However, when maintenance work is performed on individual tires at the calculated replacement timing, there are problems such as a decrease in vehicle utilization rate and a decrease in maintenance work efficiency due to frequent tire maintenance.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its objective is to provide a tire maintenance support device, a tire maintenance support method, and a tire maintenance support system that can present an efficient maintenance plan based on the predicted lifespan of the tires. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A tire maintenance support device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a tire information acquisition unit that acquires predictive data on the remaining tread depth of tires mounted on a vehicle under operational management, and a lifespan calculation unit that calculates the lifespan of a tire based on the predictive data acquired by the tire information acquisition unit. The system includes a maintenance plan generation unit that generates a tire maintenance plan for replacing tires based on the lifespan period calculated by the lifespan period calculation unit, and the maintenance plan generation unit modifies the tire maintenance plan to replace the tires in accordance with the timing of the vehicle's periodic inspection scheduled to be carried out immediately before the lifespan period.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is a tire maintenance support method. The tire maintenance support method comprises: a tire information acquisition step of acquiring predicted data on the remaining tread depth of tires mounted on a vehicle under operational management; a lifespan calculation step of calculating the lifespan of the tires based on the predicted data acquired in the tire information acquisition step; and a maintenance plan generation step of generating a tire maintenance plan for replacing the tires based on the lifespan calculated in the lifespan calculation step, wherein the maintenance plan generation step modifies the tire maintenance plan to replace the tires in accordance with the timing of a periodic inspection of the vehicle scheduled to be carried out immediately before the lifespan.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention is a tire maintenance support system. The tire maintenance support system comprises the tire maintenance support device described above and a vehicle maintenance support device used by a vehicle maintenance business operator that performs periodic inspections of the vehicle, wherein the tire maintenance support device transmits the tire maintenance plan generated by the maintenance plan generation unit to the vehicle maintenance support device, and the vehicle maintenance support device presents the received tire maintenance plan to the worker performing the inspection work. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, an efficient maintenance plan can be presented based on the predicted lifespan of the tires. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a tire maintenance support system including a tire maintenance support device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the tire management server device. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram illustrating wear estimation and machine learning in computational models. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a tire maintenance support device. [Figure 5] This figure shows the procedure for generating a tire maintenance plan using a tire maintenance support device. [Figure 6] This is a diagram showing an example of a tire maintenance plan generated by the maintenance plan generation unit. [Figure 7] This chart shows an example of an order preparation list indicating the order quantities based on the tire maintenance plan. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 7, based on preferred embodiments. The same or equivalent components and members shown in each drawing will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, the dimensions of the members in each drawing will be enlarged or reduced as appropriate for ease of understanding. Additionally, some members that are not important for explaining the embodiments will be omitted from the drawings.

[0013] (Embodiment) Figure 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 comprises a tire wear measuring device 60, an on-board measuring device 70, a fleet management device 75, a vehicle maintenance support device 80, a tire management server device 90, and the tire maintenance support device 100. The tire maintenance support device 100 acquires tire tread depth data from the tire management server device 90 for tires 7 mounted on multiple vehicles under fleet management. Based on the tire tread depth data acquired from the tire management server device 90, the tire maintenance support device 100 generates a tire maintenance plan for tire replacement and presents it to the user. The user is a vehicle operator, vehicle maintenance company, manager, worker, operator, etc. belonging to a tire maintenance company, who receives various information generated by the tire maintenance support system 110.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the operation management device 75 is owned, used, and managed exclusively by the vehicle operation operator. The vehicle maintenance support device 80 is owned, used, and managed exclusively by the vehicle maintenance operator. In addition, the tire management server device 90 and the tire maintenance support device 100 are owned, used, and managed exclusively by the tire maintenance operator.

[0015] The tire 7 is mounted on a plurality of vehicles such as trucks for transportation that are operationally managed by a vehicle operation operator, for example, a transportation operator. The user can obtain the tire maintenance plan presented by the tire maintenance support device 100 for the plurality of tires 7 mounted on each vehicle. The tire maintenance plan is data indicating the replacement time of the tire 7 until a predetermined period (for example, six months later) from now. The tire maintenance plan presented by the tire maintenance support device 100 may be for one vehicle or for a plurality of vehicles that are operationally managed.

[0016] The tire wear measurement device 60 directly measures the depth of the grooves provided in the tread of the tire 7 multiple times over a predetermined period (from several months to several years) and obtains the remaining groove amount of the tire 7. The tire wear measurement device 60 transmits the measured data of the remaining groove amount of the tire 7 to the tire management server device 90 via the communication network 9. The operator who maintains the tire 7 may measure the depth of each groove with a measuring instrument, a camera, etc., and the tire wear measurement device 60 may store the measurement data input by the operator. Further, the tire wear measurement device 60 may be a dedicated device that measures the depth of the groove by a mechanical or optical method and stores the remaining groove amount.

[0017] Specifically, for example, when the tire has four grooves, the tire wear measurement device 60 measures at four locations in the width direction and further measures at three locations at intervals of, for example, 120° in the circumferential direction of the same groove. Thereby, the uneven wear data in the width direction or the circumferential direction of the tire is also stored in the tire wear measurement device 60. Since the diameter of the tire changes due to tire wear, the tire wear measurement device 60 may indirectly measure the depth of the groove by calculation from the information on the running distance and the rotation speed and number of rotations of the tire. In addition, a device that directly measures the depth of the groove and a device that predicts by calculation from the running distance and the rotation speed and number of rotations of the tire may be used in combination.

[0018] The in-vehicle measurement device 70 is mounted on a vehicle and has a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, etc. provided on the tire 7, and measures the air pressure, temperature, etc. of the tire 7. The temperature sensor and the pressure sensor are disposed on an air valve or the like of the tire 7 mounted on the vehicle, or are firmly wound around and fixed to the wheel with a belt or the like. Further, the temperature sensor may be disposed on an inner liner or the like of the tire 7. The in-vehicle measurement device 70 transmits data such as the air pressure and temperature of the tire 7 to the tire management server device 90 via the communication network 9.

[0019] Also, the in-vehicle measurement device 70 measures the speed of the vehicle, the current position information (latitude, longitude, and altitude) of the vehicle, and the acceleration in the three-axis directions of the vehicle by means of a speedometer, a GPS receiver, an acceleration sensor, etc. mounted on the vehicle. The in-vehicle measurement device 70 transmits data such as the speed of the vehicle, the position information of the vehicle, and the acceleration of the vehicle to the tire management server device 90 via the communication network 9.

[0020] The operation management device 75 is a device that manages the operation schedule of vehicles such as trucks operated by a vehicle operation business operator. The operation management device 75 is an information processing device such as a PC (personal computer), stores the operation schedule of the vehicle for which data has been input in a storage device, reads out the operation schedule of the vehicle from the storage device, and displays it on a display or the like to make the operation schedule known to the user.

[0021] The operation schedule of the vehicle managed by the operation management device 75 includes the schedule (date and time, location) of each transportation case, as well as the inspection schedule for regular inspections (hereinafter referred to as "regular inspections") of the vehicle. Regular inspections include statutory inspections and any inspections carried out during service intervals between statutory inspections. For example, there is a case where statutory inspections are carried out every six months, and any inspection is carried out once every three months after the statutory inspection during the interval between statutory inspections.

[0022] The operating schedule also includes the schedule for vehicle inspections, which are vehicle inspections based on the vehicle inspection and registration system. Vehicle inspections check whether the vehicle meets the standards, and since they are conducted periodically, the vehicle inspections during vehicle inspections are considered a type of periodic inspection and are included in the term "periodic inspection." Here, periodic inspections of vehicles (periodic inspections) include vehicle inspections during vehicle inspections, statutory inspections, and optional inspections performed as part of the service.

[0023] The vehicle maintenance support device 80 is a device that stores various information for a vehicle dealer acting as a vehicle maintenance business operator to continuously perform vehicle maintenance, and manages and supports things like inspection schedules for periodic inspections. The vehicle maintenance support device 80 is an information processing device such as a PC (personal computer), which stores the vehicle inspection schedule entered as data in a storage device, reads the inspection schedule from the storage device and displays it on a display or the like to make the inspection schedule known to the user.

[0024] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the tire management server device 90. The tire management server device 90 has a communication unit 91, a storage unit 92, and a processing unit 93. Each part of the tire management server device 90 can be realized in hardware terms by electronic circuits and mechanical parts consisting of electronic elements such as a computer CPU, and in software terms by computer programs, but here we are showing the functional blocks realized by the cooperation of these. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by combinations of hardware and software.

[0025] The communication unit 91 connects to the communication network 9 via wireless or wired communication and communicates with the tire wear measuring device 60, the on-board measuring device 70, and the tire maintenance support device 100, etc. The storage unit 92 is a storage device composed of, for example, an SSD (Solid State Drive), a hard disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD, etc. The storage unit 92 stores vehicle management information 92a, vehicle measurement information 92b, tire measurement information 92c, etc.

[0026] Vehicle management information 92a is information about multiple vehicles and tires 7 that are operated and managed by, for example, multiple transportation operators. The vehicle management information 92a is grouped by identification information for each transportation operator, and each group includes information such as vehicle specification data, vehicle identification information assigned to each vehicle, axle arrangement information, tire identification information, and tire specification data.

[0027] Vehicle specification data includes information about the vehicle's performance, such as manufacturer, vehicle name, vehicle model, vehicle weight, drivetrain, overall length, vehicle width, vehicle height, and maximum load capacity. Axle arrangement information includes information about the mounting position of the tires 7 on the axle arrangement.

[0028] The tire identification information is information such as a serial number assigned to each tire, and for example, the tire identification information may be stored in a readable format in an RFID device embedded in the tire. The tire specification data includes information such as manufacturer, product name, tire model number, tire size, tire width, aspect ratio, wear resistance, tire strength, static stiffness, dynamic stiffness, tire outer diameter, load index, and manufacturing date.

[0029] Vehicle measurement information 92b consists of data such as vehicle speed, acceleration, and position information obtained from the on-board measurement device 70. Tire measurement information 92c consists of data such as air pressure and temperature measured by the tires 7, also obtained from the on-board measurement device 70.

[0030] The processing unit 93 includes a vehicle information acquisition unit 93a, a driving condition calculation unit 93b, and a tire wear calculation unit 93c. The vehicle information acquisition unit 93a 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 by the tires 7, from the on-board measuring device 70 via the communication unit 91. 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 93a stores the acquired vehicle measurement information and tire measurement information in the storage unit 92 as vehicle measurement information 92b and tire measurement information 92c.

[0031] Furthermore, the vehicle information acquisition unit 93a acquires time-series measurement data of the remaining tread depth of the tire 7 measured by the tire wear measuring device 60 via the communication unit 91, and stores it in the storage unit 92 as part of the tire remaining tread depth data 92d. The tire remaining tread depth data 92d 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.

[0032] Furthermore, the vehicle information acquisition unit 93a acquires the timing of the vehicle's periodic inspection from the operation management device 75 or the vehicle maintenance support device 80 via the communication unit 91 and stores it in the storage unit 92 as periodic inspection information 92f. The periodic inspection information 92f is associated with the vehicle's identification information and includes information on the date and time the vehicle's periodic inspection will be performed. In addition, although the timing of the vehicle's periodic inspection is acquired from the operation management device 75 or the vehicle maintenance support device 80, the periodic inspection information 92f may also be acquired from an external device such as the operation management device 75 or the vehicle maintenance support device 80 and stored in the storage unit 92.

[0033] The driving condition calculation unit 93b can calculate the vehicle's mileage based on the location information in the vehicle measurement information 92b. Alternatively, the vehicle's mileage may be calculated based on the speed data in the vehicle measurement information 92b and the time data associated with that data. That is, the vehicle's mileage can be calculated by multiplying the chronologically arranged speed data by the time difference up to the next point in time.

[0034] The driving status calculation unit 93b does not need to calculate the mileage itself if information regarding the vehicle's mileage is provided by the vehicle or an external device for vehicle management, and may acquire the mileage information from the vehicle or an external device. Here, the driving status calculation unit 93b calculates or acquires past mileage, including the current mileage. The driving status calculation unit 93b stores the calculated or acquired time-series mileage in the storage unit 92 as part of the driving status data 92e. The mileage data in the driving status data 92e is associated with vehicle identification information, includes the date and time the mileage was calculated, and is time-series data showing the changes in the vehicle's mileage over time.

[0035] The driving status calculation unit 93b calculates driving prediction data that predicts the time-series driving distance from the present to a predetermined period later. The driving status calculation unit 93b predicts the driving distance from the present to a predetermined period later by, for example, averaging past driving distances, including the present. For example, the driving status calculation unit 93b calculates the average value of the driving distance that occurred each month in the past for the driving distance from the present to a predetermined period of 6 months later, and predicts that this average driving distance will occur every month until 6 months later.

[0036] The driving status calculation unit 93b stores the time-series driving distance up to a predetermined period after the predicted period as driving prediction data related to driving distance, and stores it in the storage unit 92 as part of the driving status data 92e. For example, if there is a period between the present time and a predetermined period after the period in which the frequency of transport is expected to increase or decrease, the driving status calculation unit 93b may adjust the driving prediction data related to driving distance by calculating a value obtained by multiplying the driving distance for that period by a coefficient (for example, 2 times or 0.5 times).

[0037] The driving condition calculation unit 93b calculates the tire load for past periods (for example, every month) by multiplying the tire pressure and temperature by the vehicle's mileage and accumulating them, respectively, when the tire pressure is lower than a predetermined threshold and when the tire temperature is higher than a predetermined threshold, and stores this as part of the driving condition data 92e in the storage unit 92. Here, the driving condition calculation unit 93b calculates the tire load for past periods, including the present time, in a time series. The tire load data in the driving condition data 92e is associated with vehicle identification information, the mounting position of the tire 7, and tire identification information, and includes the date and time when the tire load was calculated, making it time series data that shows the changes in tire load over time.

[0038] The driving condition calculation unit 93b may calculate the tire load using at least one of the driving distance and the air pressure and temperature of the tire 7. The driving condition calculation unit 93b calculates the tire load by multiplying the air pressure by the driving distance and accumulating the results when the air pressure of the tire 7 is lower than a predetermined threshold, and by multiplying the temperature by the driving distance and accumulating the results when the temperature of the tire 7 is higher than a predetermined threshold. Considering that the load on the tire 7 is greater when the air pressure of the tire 7 is lower, the tire load may be calculated by taking the reciprocal of the air pressure and multiplying it by the driving distance.

[0039] The driving condition calculation unit 93b calculates driving prediction data that predicts the time-series tire load from the present to a predetermined period later. The driving condition calculation unit 93b predicts the tire load for each period from the present to a predetermined period later by, for example, averaging past tire loads, including the present. For example, the driving condition calculation unit 93b calculates the average value of the tire load that occurred each month in the past for the tire load from the present to a predetermined period of 6 months later, and predicts that the tire load of that average value will occur every month until 6 months later.

[0040] The driving condition calculation unit 93b stores the time-series tire load amount up to a predetermined period after the predicted period as driving prediction data related to tire load amount in the storage unit 92 as part of the driving condition data 92e. For example, if there is a period from the present to a predetermined period after the period in which the frequency of transport is expected to increase or decrease, the driving condition calculation unit 93b may calculate a value by multiplying the tire load amount for that period by a coefficient (for example, 2 times or 0.5 times) and adjust the driving prediction data related to tire load amount.

[0041] The tire wear calculation unit 93c reads and acquires data from the storage unit 92 that is appropriately used to estimate the amount of tire wear of the tire 7, such as vehicle and tire 7 specification data. The tire wear calculation unit 93c also acquires information such as axle arrangement information and tire identification information stored in the storage unit 92.

[0042] The tire wear calculation unit 93c has a calculation model 94 that estimates the amount of tire wear 7. The calculation model 94 is a machine learning model that calculates the amount of tire wear 7 based on the input information. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the wear estimation and machine learning of the calculation model 94. The input data to the calculation model 94 is generally classified into vehicle measurement information, tire measurement information, and other information categories.

[0043] The input data related to vehicle measurement information includes the vehicle's acceleration and mileage. The mileage is calculated by the driving condition calculation unit 93b as described above and read from the driving condition data 92e in the storage unit 92. The acceleration is read from the vehicle measurement information 92b in the storage unit 92. The input data related to tire measurement information includes the tire pressure and temperature of the tire 7 and is read from the tire measurement information 92c in the storage unit 92.

[0044] Other input data includes road surface conditions estimated based on weather information, the maximum load capacity of the vehicle included in the vehicle specification data, and the wear resistance performance of tire 7 included in the tire specification data. For the wear resistance performance of tire 7, for example, a tire wear index value is used, which is an index of the wear resistance performance of various tread compounds, with the standard compound set to 100 based on the Lambourn wear test.

[0045] The computational model 94 uses, for example, a machine learning model such as a neural network. The computational model 94 is constructed using, for example, a Deep Neural Network (DNN) or a decision tree. Alternatively, the computational model 94 may be a multilinear regression model on input information, and the model may be generated through learning.

[0046] 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 training the computational model 94. The amount of tire wear is obtained by subtracting the remaining tread depth from the groove depth of the tire 7 in its new state. During the training process of the computational model 94, the computational model 94 estimates the amount of tire wear of the tire 7 as output data based on the input information and compares it with the training data. The computational model 94 compares the estimated amount of tire wear of the tire 7 with the training data, sets various coefficients in the computational process such as weighting, and performs training by repeatedly updating the model.

[0047] The tire wear calculation unit 93c can estimate the amount of wear on the tire 7 using a trained calculation model 94 and calculate the remaining tread depth of the tire 7 by subtracting the amount of wear. The tire wear calculation unit 93c estimates the remaining tread depth of the tire 7 from the present time to a predetermined period later. For example, the tire wear calculation unit 93c estimates the remaining tread depth of the tire 7 every month, assuming the predetermined period is 6 months. The tire wear calculation unit 93c stores the predicted remaining tread depth of the tire 7 up to the predetermined period later as remaining tread depth prediction data in the storage unit 92 as part of the tire remaining tread depth data 92d.

[0048] The tire wear calculation unit 93c needs to set estimated values ​​for each input data to the calculation model 94 from the present time to a predetermined period in order to estimate the remaining tread depth of the tire 7 from the present time to a predetermined period in the future. As described above, the input data is classified into categories such as vehicle measurement information, tire measurement information, and other information, and past average values ​​may be used for the estimated values ​​of acceleration and mileage in the vehicle measurement information category. For the estimated mileage, the mileage prediction data predicted by the mileage condition calculation unit 93b as described above may be used.

[0049] Furthermore, the tire wear calculation unit 93c sets estimated values ​​for the air pressure and temperature of the tire 7 related to tire measurement information, assuming the natural decrease in air pressure and fluctuations in ambient temperature that will occur from the present to a predetermined period later. In addition, the tire wear calculation unit 93c may also assume fluctuations in temperature and precipitation that will occur from the present to a predetermined period later, based on past weather information, and then assume the road surface condition from the assumed precipitation, among the other information used as input data to the calculation model 94.

[0050] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the tire maintenance support device 100. The tire maintenance support device 100 comprises a communication unit 10, an operation unit 12, a display unit 14, a storage unit 20, and a control unit 30, and presents a tire maintenance plan to the user. The tire maintenance support device 100 is an information processing device such as a smartphone or a personal computer.

[0051] Each component of the tire maintenance support device 100 can be implemented in hardware terms using electronic processing circuits consisting of electronic elements such as a computer CPU and mechanical parts, and in software terms using computer programs, etc. However, what is depicted here is a functional block realized through the coordination of these components. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms through combinations of hardware and software.

[0052] The communication unit 10 connects to the communication network 9 via wireless or wired communication and communicates with the tire management server device 90, etc. The operation unit 12 is an operable input device such as a touch panel, switch, keyboard, and mouse. The display unit 14 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display.

[0053] The user selects one vehicle or multiple vehicles managed by a transport operator by operating the control unit 12, and obtains tire maintenance information, including tire tread depth data, and periodic vehicle inspection information from the tire management server device 90. The control unit 30 of the tire maintenance support device 100 generates a tire maintenance plan for tire replacement based on the tire tread depth data and periodic inspection information obtained from the tire management server device 90.

[0054] The storage unit 20 is a storage device composed of, for example, 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 obtained from the tire management server device 90, tire specification data, tire maintenance information, periodic inspection information, etc. The vehicle axle arrangement information is determined to correspond to, for example, the vehicle name and vehicle model, and may be stored in the storage unit 20.

[0055] The control unit 30 includes a tire information acquisition unit 31, a lifespan timing calculation unit 32, a maintenance plan generation unit 33, a display processing unit 34, and an order quantity calculation unit 35. The tire information acquisition unit 31 acquires tire tread depth data 92d and periodic inspection information 92f of tires 7 mounted on multiple vehicles operated by a transport operator from the tire management server device 90, for example, through operation by the user's operation unit 12.

[0056] The lifespan calculation unit 32 calculates and estimates the lifespan Tf of each tire 7 based on the tire tread depth data 92d acquired by the tire information acquisition unit 31. The lifespan calculation unit 32 calculates the lifespan Tf as the time when the remaining tread depth reaches a specified value R, which necessitates tire replacement, based on the predicted remaining tread depth data in the tire tread depth data 92d.

[0057] The maintenance plan generation unit 33 generates a tire maintenance plan for a single vehicle, in which the tire 7 is replaced based on the lifespan timing Tf calculated by the lifespan timing calculation unit 32. The maintenance plan generation unit 33 modifies the plan to replace the tire 7 in accordance with the timing Tc of the vehicle's periodic inspection scheduled to be performed immediately before the lifespan timing Tf, and generates the tire maintenance plan. The timing Tc of the vehicle's periodic inspection is included in the periodic inspection information 92f obtained from the tire management server device 90. As mentioned above, periodic inspections include vehicle inspections during vehicle inspections, statutory inspections, and optional inspections performed as part of service.

[0058] The maintenance plan generation unit 33 generates a tire maintenance plan for a vehicle that replaces the tire 7 before it reaches its lifespan Tf by replacing the tire in accordance with the periodic inspection period Tc. For example, if the periodic inspection period Tc for the vehicle is in July and October, and the lifespan Tf of a tire mounted on the vehicle is in August, the maintenance plan generation unit 33 generates a tire maintenance plan that replaces the tire in accordance with the periodic inspection period in July.

[0059] The maintenance plan generation unit 33 adjusts the tire maintenance plan so that tires 7 whose predicted remaining tread depth is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold Ra at the time of periodic inspection Tc will be replaced at the end of the tire life Tf. The predetermined threshold Ra is set to a value greater than the specified value R for the remaining tread depth at which tire replacement is required. For example, the maintenance plan generation unit 33 sets the specified value R for remaining tread depth to 3.2 mm and the predetermined threshold Ra to 5 mm. Note that the predetermined threshold Ra is not limited to the example of 5 mm.

[0060] For example, if the vehicle's regular inspection period Tc is in July and October, and the lifespan Tf of one tire mounted on the vehicle is in September, replacing that tire in July would mean replacing it when the tread depth is 6 mm. In this case, the maintenance plan generation unit 33 adjusts the tire maintenance plan so that the tire is replaced in September, which is its original lifespan Tf.

[0061] According to the safety standards for road transport vehicles, the tire wear limit (specified value R) is set at 1.6 mm or more for general roads and 3.2 mm or more for large trucks on expressways. For example, if the specified value R is set at 3.2 mm and the specified threshold Ra is set at 5 mm, then at the time of periodic inspection Tc, tires with a remaining tread depth of 3.2 mm or more and less than 5 mm will be replaced and can be used as base tires for tire regeneration such as retreading.

[0062] The maintenance plan generation unit 33 generates tire maintenance plans for each of the multiple vehicles operated and managed by the transport operator, for which the tires 7 are replaced as described above. The tire maintenance plan includes identification information for each vehicle operated and managed by the transport operator, the tire model number and tire size of each tire installed, the position of each tire in the axle arrangement, and the timing of replacement. The tire maintenance plan may also include the lifespan period Tf of the tires 7 to be replaced in conjunction with the periodic inspection period Tc.

[0063] Furthermore, the maintenance plan generation unit 33 generates alert information indicating that the tires 7 to be replaced in conjunction with the periodic inspection should be replaced before the periodic inspection, and adds this alert information to the tire maintenance plan.

[0064] The tire maintenance support device 100 transmits the tire maintenance plan generated by the maintenance plan generation unit 33 to the operation management device 75 and the vehicle maintenance support device 80. The tire maintenance plan received by the operation management device 75 and the vehicle maintenance support device 80 is provided to the vehicle operator and the vehicle maintenance company. The vehicle operator and the vehicle maintenance company can use the provided tire maintenance plan to find out the number of tires to be replaced during periodic inspections before the periodic inspections begin.

[0065] The display processing unit 34 displays the tire maintenance plan generated by the maintenance plan generation unit 33 on the display unit 14. The display processing unit 34 displays on the display unit 14 a list that includes the identification information of each vehicle operated and managed by the transport operator, the tire model number and tire size of each tire installed, the position of each tire in the axle arrangement, and the replacement time, all of which are included in the tire maintenance plan. The display processing unit 34 may also display the lifespan Tf of the tires 7 that are to be replaced in accordance with the periodic inspection time Tc. The display processing unit 34 may also display the lifespan Tf and the replacement time modified in the tire maintenance plan in the display unit 14 in a way that allows for visual distinction by changing the display format (color, shade, pattern, etc.).

[0066] The order quantity calculation unit 35 aggregates the number of tires 7 to be replaced according to the tire maintenance plan for each period (for example, every month) and calculates the order quantity for tires 7. Furthermore, the order quantity calculation unit 35 may aggregate the order quantity for each tire model number and tire size. The display processing unit 34 displays the order quantity for tires 7 aggregated by the order quantity calculation unit 35 on the display unit 14. The tire maintenance support device 100 may also transmit the order quantity of tires aggregated by the order quantity calculation unit 35 to an information processing device managed by the tire manufacturer, providing the tire manufacturer with information on the order quantity of tires.

[0067] Next, the operation of the tire maintenance support device 100 will be described. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure for generating a tire maintenance plan by the tire maintenance support device 100. The tire information acquisition unit 31 of the tire maintenance support device 100 selects one transport operator from multiple transport operators based on the user's operation on the operation unit 12 (S1). The tire information acquisition unit 31 notifies the tire management server device 90 of the identification information of the selected transport operator via the communication unit 10.

[0068] Based on the notified identification information of the transport operator, the tire management server device 90 transmits tire tread depth data 92d and periodic inspection information 92f of the tires 7 installed on all vehicles operated and managed by the transport operator via the communication network 9. The tire information acquisition unit 31 receives and acquires the tire tread depth data 92d and periodic inspection information 92f transmitted by the tire management server device 90 (S2).

[0069] The lifespan calculation unit 32 estimates and calculates the lifespan Tf of the tire 7 based on the tire tread depth data 92d of the tire 7 acquired in step S2 (S3). In step S3, the lifespan Tf of each tire installed on all vehicles operated and managed by the selected transport operator is calculated.

[0070] The maintenance plan generation unit 33 arbitrarily selects the first vehicle for which to generate a tire maintenance plan and sets the count value k to 1 (S4). The total number of vehicles operated and managed by the selected transport operator is set to N. The maintenance plan generation unit 33 generates a tire maintenance plan for the selected vehicle to replace the tires in accordance with the periodic inspection time Tc immediately preceding the lifespan Tf (S5). The maintenance plan generation unit 33 extracts tires whose remaining tread depth at the periodic inspection time Tc is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold Ra (S6). The maintenance plan generation unit 33 changes the replacement of the tires extracted in step S6 to the lifespan Tf (S7). Alternatively, in step S5, the maintenance plan generation unit 33 may generate a tire maintenance plan based on the lifespan Tf, modify the tire maintenance plan to replace the tires in accordance with the periodic inspection time Tc immediately preceding the lifespan Tf, and then generate the tire maintenance plan.

[0071] The maintenance plan generation unit 33 determines whether the count value k has reached N (S8). If the determination result is negative (S8: NO), it arbitrarily selects the next vehicle (excluding the already selected vehicle), adds 1 to the count value k (S9), and returns to step S5 to repeat the process. The maintenance plan generation unit 33 performs the tire maintenance plan generation process from step S5 to step S7 for all vehicles. If it is determined in step S8 that the count value has reached N (S8: YES), the display processing unit 34 displays the tire maintenance plan generated by the maintenance plan generation unit 33 on the display unit 14 (S10), and terminates the process.

[0072] Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of a tire maintenance plan generated by the maintenance plan generation unit 33. Figure 6 shows the tire maintenance plan for three vehicles operated and managed by a transportation company from June to November 2024. In the table in Figure 6, the symbols B11, B21, etc., represent the position of the tires in the vehicle's axle arrangement. Positions B11 and B12 represent the position of the tires on the first axle from the front of the vehicle. Positions B21, B22, B23, and B24 represent the position of the tires on the second axle from the front of the vehicle. Positions B31, B32, B33, and B34 represent the position of the tires on the third axle from the front of the vehicle, and positions B41, B42, B43, and B44 represent the position of the tires on the fourth axle from the front of the vehicle.

[0073] The "Current Minimum Tread Depth" column shows the minimum remaining tread depth for each tire as of June 3rd. The tire maintenance plan indicates that the tires will be replaced in the corresponding month with a "1". The "1 with an arrow" indicates that the tire replacement date has been moved from the calculated lifespan period Tf to the vehicle's regular inspection period Tc.

[0074] In Figure 6, the areas enclosed by thick solid lines represent the timing of vehicle inspections, the areas enclosed by thick dashed lines represent the timing of vehicle inspections, and the hatched areas represent the timing of switching from summer tires to winter tires. In the tire maintenance plan shown in Figure 6, the specified value R is set to 3.2 mm and the specified threshold Ra is set to 5 mm. The timing of switching from summer tires to winter tires, and the timing of switching from winter tires to summer tires, may be added to the periodic inspection timing Tc.

[0075] For example, for a vehicle with vehicle identification number 1023, the tire at position B12 is predicted to have a lifespan Tf of August, and a plan is generated to replace the tire in July, which is the time of the periodic inspection Tc. For a vehicle with vehicle identification number 1023, the tire at position B23 is predicted to have a lifespan Tf of September, and similarly, a plan is generated to replace the tire in July. Furthermore, for a vehicle with vehicle identification number 1023, the tires at positions B11 and B24 are predicted to have a lifespan Tf of October, and a plan is generated to replace the tires in October, which is the time of the periodic inspection (vehicle inspection) Tc.

[0076] For example, if a plan is made to replace the tires of a vehicle with vehicle identification information 1023 at its lifespan Tf, the vehicle's operation would be stopped in July, August, September, and October for inspection and tire replacement. According to this embodiment, the plan is to stop the vehicle's operation only twice, in July and October, resulting in an efficient tire maintenance plan. Furthermore, for plans to replace tires at the time of periodic inspection (vehicle inspection) Tc, the tire maintenance company may manually revert to the lifespan Tf due to scheduling constraints or other reasons.

[0077] For vehicle identification number 1027, a tire maintenance plan will be generated to replace the tires in June and September, which are the scheduled inspection periods. Also for vehicle identification number 1027, the tire at position B42 is predicted to have a lifespan Tf of November, and will be disposed of or recycled in November, which is the time to switch from summer tires to winter tires.

[0078] For example, if a plan is made to replace the tires of a vehicle with vehicle identification information 1027 at its lifespan Tf, the vehicle would be shut down for inspection and tire replacement in June, July, August, September, and October. According to this embodiment, the plan is to shut down the vehicle only twice, in June and September, resulting in an efficient tire maintenance plan.

[0079] For vehicle identification number 1034, the tire at position B11 is predicted to have a lifespan Tf of October. If it were replaced in August, which is the scheduled inspection period Tc, the remaining tread depth would be above the predetermined threshold Ra (=5mm), so the tire replacement is scheduled for October. Similarly, for vehicle identification number 1034, the tire at position B12 is also scheduled for replacement in September, which is its lifespan Tf, just like the tire at position B11.

[0080] For vehicles with vehicle identification information 1034, the plan is to replace the tires at the end of their service life Tf, so regardless of this embodiment, the number of times the vehicle will be stopped from operation will be the same.

[0081] Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of an order preparation list indicating the order quantity based on the tire maintenance plan. In the example shown in Figure 7, the order quantity calculation unit 35 aggregates the order quantities for each month and tire size for the tire replacement of the three vehicles shown in Figure 6. The tire maintenance support device 100 generates an order preparation list like the one shown in Figure 7 and provides it to, for example, a tire manufacturer, thereby facilitating the smooth securing of new tire quantities before tire replacement is carried out.

[0082] The tire maintenance support device 100 includes a tire information acquisition unit 31, a lifespan calculation unit 32, and a maintenance plan generation unit 33. The tire information acquisition unit 31 acquires predicted data on the remaining tread depth of tires 7 mounted on vehicles under operation management. The lifespan calculation unit 32 calculates the lifespan Tf of the tires 7 based on the predicted data acquired by the tire information acquisition unit 31. The maintenance plan generation unit 33 generates a tire maintenance plan to replace the tires 7 based on the lifespan Tf calculated by the lifespan calculation unit 32. The maintenance plan generation unit 33 modifies and generates the tire maintenance plan to replace the tires 7 in accordance with the timing Tc of the vehicle's periodic inspection scheduled to be carried out immediately before the lifespan Tf. As a result, the tire maintenance support device 100 can present an efficient maintenance plan based on the predicted lifespan of the tires 7.

[0083] The maintenance plan generation unit 33 adjusts the tire maintenance plan so that tires whose remaining tread depth is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold Ra at the time of periodic inspection Tc are replaced at the lifespan Tf calculated by the lifespan calculation unit 32. This prevents the tire maintenance support device 100 from replacing tires 7 at the time of periodic inspection Tc even though the remaining tread depth of the tires 7 is still sufficient.

[0084] The tire maintenance support device 100 further includes an order quantity calculation unit 35. The order quantity calculation unit 35 aggregates the number of tires to be replaced according to the tire maintenance plan and calculates the order quantity of tires 7. As a result, the tire maintenance support device 100 can provide the calculated order quantity of tires 7 to the tire manufacturer, ensuring a smooth securing of new tires before tire replacement is carried out.

[0085] Furthermore, the maintenance plan generation unit 33 generates alert information indicating that the replacement of the tires 7 according to the tire maintenance plan should be carried out before the periodic inspection, and adds this alert information to the tire maintenance plan. As a result, the tire maintenance support device 100 notifies, for example, vehicle operators and vehicle maintenance operators of the tire maintenance plan with the added alert information, allowing them to understand that the replacement of the tires 7 should be carried out before the periodic inspection based on the alert information. In addition, the tire maintenance support device 100 displays the lifespan period Tf of the tires 7 and the revised tire replacement period in the tire maintenance plan on the display unit 14, distinguishing them by their different display formats. As a result, the tire maintenance support device 100 allows the user to understand that the tire replacement period in the tire maintenance plan has been revised from the lifespan period Tf.

[0086] The tire maintenance support system 110 comprises a tire maintenance support device 100 and a vehicle maintenance support device 80 used by a vehicle maintenance business operator that performs periodic vehicle inspections. The tire maintenance support device 100 transmits the tire maintenance plan generated by the maintenance plan generation unit 33 to the vehicle maintenance support device. The vehicle maintenance support device 80 presents the received tire maintenance plan to the worker performing the inspection work. As a result, the tire maintenance support system 110 can reliably perform tire replacement in accordance with the periodic vehicle inspection based on the tire maintenance plan provided by the tire maintenance support device 100. The vehicle maintenance support device 80 can present the tire maintenance plan to the worker by displaying it on its own display device, printing it on paper, or displaying it on an information processing terminal device carried by the worker.

[0087] (modified version) In the embodiments described above, the transport operator is not limited to operators who manage the operation of transport trucks, but also includes, for example, taxi operators. Furthermore, the vehicles are not limited to trucks or taxis, but also include rental vehicles from rental companies, shared vehicles provided by vehicle sharing companies, and private cars purchased by general households.

[0088] In the above-described embodiment, the maintenance plan generation unit 33 is configured to modify the tire maintenance plan to match the timing Tc of the vehicle's periodic inspection scheduled to be carried out immediately before the lifespan Tf. However, the maintenance plan generation unit 33 may also be configured to generate the tire maintenance plan to match the timing Tc of the vehicle's periodic inspection scheduled to be carried out immediately before the lifespan Tf calculated by the lifespan calculation unit 32.

[0089] The technical ideas embodied in the above embodiments and variations can be generalized to include the technical ideas described in the following items.

[0090] The first item is a tire maintenance support device comprising: a tire information acquisition unit that acquires predicted data on the remaining tread depth of tires mounted on vehicles under operational management; a lifespan calculation unit that calculates the lifespan of the tires based on the predicted data acquired by the tire information acquisition unit; and a maintenance plan generation unit that generates a tire maintenance plan for replacing the tires based on the lifespan calculated by the lifespan calculation unit, wherein the maintenance plan generation unit modifies the tire maintenance plan to replace the tires in accordance with the timing of the periodic inspection of the vehicle scheduled to be carried out immediately before the lifespan.

[0091] The second item is a tire maintenance support device as described in the first item, wherein the maintenance plan generation unit adjusts the tire maintenance plan so that tires whose remaining tread depth exceeds a predetermined threshold at the time of the periodic inspection are replaced at the lifespan calculated by the lifespan calculation unit.

[0092] The third item is a tire maintenance support device as described in item 1 or 2, further comprising an order quantity calculation unit that aggregates the number of tires to be replaced according to the tire maintenance plan and calculates the order quantity for the tires.

[0093] The fourth item is a tire maintenance support device as described in any one of the first to third items, wherein the maintenance plan generation unit generates alert information indicating that tire replacement according to the tire maintenance plan should be carried out before the periodic inspection, and adds the alert information to the tire maintenance plan.

[0094] The fifth item is a tire maintenance support device according to any one of the first to fourth items, further comprising a display unit which distinguishes and displays the lifespan period and the revised tire replacement period in the tire maintenance plan on the display unit.

[0095] The sixth item comprises a tire information acquisition step of acquiring predicted data on the remaining tread depth of tires mounted on vehicles under operational management; a lifespan calculation step of calculating the lifespan of the tires based on the predicted data acquired by the tire information acquisition step; and a maintenance plan generation step of generating a tire maintenance plan for replacing the tires based on the lifespan calculated by the lifespan calculation step, wherein the maintenance plan generation step includes the lifespan... This is a tire maintenance support method that modifies the tire maintenance plan to replace the tires in accordance with the scheduled periodic inspection of the vehicle that is to be carried out immediately before the event.

[0096] The seventh item is a tire maintenance support system comprising a tire maintenance support device described in any one of the first to fifth items, and a vehicle maintenance support device used by a vehicle maintenance business operator that performs periodic inspections of the vehicle, wherein the tire maintenance support device transmits the tire maintenance plan generated by the maintenance plan generation unit to the vehicle maintenance support device, and the vehicle maintenance support device presents the received tire maintenance plan to the worker performing the inspection work.

[0097] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. These embodiments are illustrative, 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 are also within the scope of the claims of the present invention. Accordingly, the descriptions and drawings herein should be treated as illustrative rather than limiting. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 7 Tires, 14 Display unit, 31 Tire information acquisition unit, 32 Lifespan timing calculation unit, 33 Maintenance plan generation unit, 80 Vehicle maintenance support device, 100 Tire maintenance support device, 110 Tire maintenance support system.

Claims

1. A tire information acquisition unit that acquires predictive data on the remaining tread depth of tires installed on vehicles under operational management, A lifespan timing calculation unit calculates the lifespan timing of a tire based on the predicted data acquired by the tire information acquisition unit, The system includes a maintenance plan generation unit that generates a tire maintenance plan for replacing the tire based on the lifespan period calculated by the lifespan period calculation unit, The maintenance plan generation unit is a tire maintenance support device that modifies the tire maintenance plan to replace the tires in accordance with the timing of the vehicle's periodic inspection scheduled to be carried out immediately before the end of its lifespan.

2. The tire maintenance support device according to claim 1, wherein the maintenance plan generation unit adjusts the tire maintenance plan so that tires whose remaining tread depth exceeds a predetermined threshold at the time of the periodic inspection are replaced at the lifespan calculated by the lifespan calculation unit.

3. The tire maintenance support device according to claim 1, further comprising an order quantity calculation unit that aggregates the number of tires to be replaced according to the tire maintenance plan and calculates the order quantity for tires.

4. The tire maintenance support device according to claim 1, wherein the maintenance plan generation unit generates alert information indicating that tire replacement according to the tire maintenance plan should be carried out before the periodic inspection, and adds the alert information to the tire maintenance plan.

5. It further has a display unit, The tire maintenance support device according to claim 1, which distinguishes between the lifespan period and the revised tire replacement period in the tire maintenance plan and displays them on the display unit.

6. A tire information acquisition step that obtains predicted data on the remaining tread depth of tires installed on vehicles under operational management, A lifespan calculation step that calculates the lifespan of a tire based on the predicted data obtained in the tire information acquisition step, The system includes a maintenance plan generation step that generates a tire maintenance plan for replacing the tire based on the lifespan calculated in the lifespan calculation step, The tire maintenance support method, which includes the maintenance plan generation step, modifying the tire maintenance plan to replace the tires in accordance with the timing of a periodic inspection of the vehicle that is scheduled to be carried out immediately before the end of its lifespan.

7. A tire maintenance support device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The vehicle includes a vehicle maintenance support device used by a vehicle maintenance business operator that performs periodic inspections of the aforementioned vehicle, The tire maintenance support device transmits the tire maintenance plan generated by the maintenance plan generation unit to the vehicle maintenance support device. The vehicle maintenance support device is a tire maintenance support system that presents the received tire maintenance plan to the worker performing the inspection work.

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