Tire abnormality determination system, tire abnormality determination device, tire abnormality determination method, and program

Abstract

To provide a tire abnormality determination system, a tire abnormality determination device, a tire abnormality determination method, and a program capable of determining presence or absence of a precursory phenomenon of abnormality or presence or absence of abnormality in a non-pneumatic tire, and issuing a notification of the determination contents.MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM: A tire abnormality determination system 100 includes a related information acquisition unit 111 that acquires degradation related information that may affect on degradation of a non-pneumatic tire 1 mounted to a vehicle 50, a first determination processing unit 112 that determines at least one of presence or absence of a precursory phenomenon of abnormality in the non-pneumatic tire and presence or absence of the abnormality in the non-pneumatic tire on the basis of the degradation related information, and an output processing unit 115 that outputs a first determination result by the first determination processing unit to a predetermined output destination.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a tire abnormality determination system capable of determining the presence or absence of precursors of abnormalities or the presence or absence of said abnormalities in a non-pneumatic tire mounted on a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Non-pneumatic tires that do not require air filling are known (see Patent Document 1). Similar to pneumatic tires, non-pneumatic tires have a tread portion that contacts the running road surface. The tread portion of a non-pneumatic tire is also referred to as a tread ring.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When the tread rubber constituting the tread portion of a non-pneumatic tire wears and the thickness of the tread portion falls below a reference value, it enters an abnormal state (abnormal condition), and the life of the non-pneumatic tire ends. In addition to the tread ring corresponding to the tread portion, the non-pneumatic tire includes a hub portion fixed to an axle, a spoke portion for holding the tread ring, and the like. There are cases where the tread ring peels off from the spoke portion, the spoke plate of the spoke portion breaks, the spoke portion comes off from the hub portion, or the hub portion breaks. In the case of a pneumatic tire filled with air, it is possible to detect the air pressure and determine the abnormality of the pneumatic tire from the decrease in air pressure. However, in the case of a non-pneumatic tire that does not use compressed air, it is not easy to determine the precursors of abnormalities in each part of the non-pneumatic tire or to determine the abnormalities in each part.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a tire abnormality determination system, a tire abnormality determination device, a tire abnormality determination method, and a program capable of determining the presence or absence of a precursor of an abnormality or the presence or absence of an abnormality in a non-pneumatic tire and notifying the determination content.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A tire abnormality determination system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a related information acquisition unit that acquires deterioration-related information that can affect the deterioration of a non-pneumatic tire mounted on a vehicle, and based on the deterioration-related information, determines at least one of the presence or absence of a precursor of an abnormality in the non-pneumatic tire and the presence or absence of the abnormality in the non-pneumatic tire, and an output processing unit that outputs a first determination result by the first determination processing unit to a predetermined output destination.

[0007] With such a configuration, it is possible to determine the presence or absence of a precursor of an abnormality or the presence or absence of an abnormality occurring in the non-pneumatic tire, and it is also possible to notify the determination content to the owner or driver of the vehicle, a vehicle repair contractor, etc. through a predetermined output terminal.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to determine the presence or absence of a precursor of an abnormality or the presence or absence of an abnormality in a non-pneumatic tire, and it is also possible to notify the determination content.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

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Figure 10

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. Note that the embodiments described below are merely examples of embodying the present disclosure and do not limit the technical scope of the present disclosure. In each embodiment, for configurations common to other embodiments, the same reference numerals as those used for the configurations of other embodiments are given, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0011] [First Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a tire abnormality determination system 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as the determination system 100) according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The determination system 100 is an example of the tire abnormality determination system of the present disclosure and is configured to be able to determine the state of a tire 1 mounted on and used in a vehicle 50. Specifically, the determination system 100 can determine the presence or absence of precursors of abnormalities in the tire 1 and can also determine the presence or absence of abnormalities in the tire 1.

[0012] Here, the tire 1 to be determined is a so-called non-pneumatic tire that is not filled with compressed air inside.

[0013] [Configuration of Tire Abnormality Determination System 100] As shown in FIG. 1, the determination system 100 mainly includes an abnormality determination device 10 (an example of the tire abnormality determination device of the present disclosure) and a database unit 30, and these are communicably connected by a communication network by wire or wirelessly. Further, the abnormality determination device 10 is communicably connected to a communication device 40. The communication network is, for example, a wired communication network connected by a LAN or the like, or a wireless communication network or a wired communication network such as a dedicated line or a public line.

[0014] The abnormality determination device 10 is an element constituting the determination system 100. The abnormality determination device 10 executes an abnormality determination process (see FIG. 7) described later using state data (an example of deterioration-related information of the present disclosure) transmitted from a control unit 60 (see FIG. 2) of the vehicle 50. Thereby, the determination system 100 can determine the presence or absence of a precursor of an abnormality or the presence or absence of an abnormality in the tire 1. Further, the determination system 100 outputs the determination result by the above determination process to an external device such as a display device 502 (an example of the display device of the present disclosure) mounted on the vehicle 50, an information terminal 71 (an example of the terminal device of the present disclosure) owned by the driver of the vehicle 50, and an information terminal 72 (an example of the terminal device of the present disclosure) installed at a repair shop that performs repair work such as repair and maintenance of the vehicle 50 and replacement of the tire 1. The display device 502, the information terminals 71 and 72 are examples of a predetermined output destination of the present disclosure. When the vehicle 50 is a so-called connected car having a function as an ICT terminal, the vehicle 50 itself can also be regarded as a predetermined output destination of the present disclosure.

[0015] The abnormality determination device 10 is an information processing device or a server device capable of executing various arithmetic processes. Specifically, it is a computer such as a server computer, a cloud server, or a personal computer connected to the communication network. Note that the abnormality determination device 10 is not limited to a single computer, and may be a computer system in which a plurality of computers operate in cooperation, or a cloud computing system. Also, various processes executed by the abnormality determination device 10 may be distributed and executed by one or a plurality of processors. A program or computer software for operating the determination system 100 is installed in the abnormality determination device 10.

[0016] In the present embodiment, as an example of the determination system 100, a system is exemplified in which the abnormality determination device 10 performs data communication with a single vehicle 50, acquires state data and the like described later, and executes various arithmetic processes to perform the abnormality determination process. However, the determination system 100 is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the determination system 100 may perform data communication with a plurality of vehicles 50, acquire state data and the like described later from each vehicle 50, and execute the abnormality determination process for each tire 1 mounted on each vehicle 50. In this case, the abnormality determination device 10 is installed, for example, in a central management center that comprehensively manages a plurality of registered vehicles 50.

[0017] The database unit 30 is a storage device such as an HDD or an SSD that is communicably connected to the communication network. The database unit 30 stores various data handled in the determination system 100. The database unit 30 is a storage device in another server device that can communicate data with the abnormality determination device 10, or a network-attached storage that can independently transmit and receive data on the communication network. Note that the database unit 30 may be a so-called cloud storage connected via the Internet. Further, the database unit 30 may be a storage device provided in the abnormality determination device 10, or a storage device connected to the abnormality determination device 10 by a local network.

[0018] The communication device 40 communicably connects the abnormality determination device 10 to external devices such as the vehicle 50 and the information terminals 71 and 72 via a wireless communication network using a dedicated line, a public line, a mobile phone line, or the like. The communication device 40 transmits and receives data and signals to and from external devices such as the vehicle 50 and the information terminals 71 and 72. For example, the communication device 40 communicates with the vehicle 50 and receives state data (described later) output from the vehicle 50. When the communication device 40 receives the state data from the vehicle 50, the communication device 40 transmits the received state data to the abnormality determination device 10.

[0019] In addition, the communication device 40 transmits various calculation results and notifications output from the abnormality determination device 10 to the vehicle 50 or the information terminals 71 and 72. The communication device 40 includes an antenna (not shown), and the antenna is used for wireless communication performed between a communication unit 63 (see FIG. 5) provided in the control unit 60 of the vehicle 50 and a communication unit (not shown) provided in the information terminals 71 and 72.

[0020] The information terminals 71 and 72 are information processing devices such as smartphones, tablet terminals, notebook computers, and desktop computers. The information terminal 71 is, for example, an information processing device associated with a user who is the owner or driver of the vehicle 50, specifically, an information processing device used by the user. Further, the information terminal 72 is an information processing device associated with a repair shop that performs repair work such as repair and maintenance of the vehicle 50, specifically, an information processing device installed in the repair shop, or an information processing device used by an employee of the repair shop.

[0021] When the information terminals 71 and 72 receive the calculation results and notifications of various calculation processes executed by the abnormality determination device 10 from the abnormality determination device 10, the information terminals 71 and 72 display the calculation results and the notifications on the display screens of the display units provided in the information terminals 71 and 72. Therefore, programs or computer software for receiving various information from the abnormality determination device 10 in cooperation with the determination system 100 and displaying the calculation results and the notifications on the display screen are installed in the information terminals 71 and 72.

[0022] [Vehicle 50] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5, the vehicle 50 equipped with the tire 1 will be described. Here, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the vehicle 50. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the tire 1 mounted on the vehicle 50, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the tire 1 in the axial direction. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle 50.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 50 is, for example, a four-wheel passenger car and includes a total of four wheels front and rear. The tire 1 is mounted on each wheel of the vehicle 50. In the present embodiment, the vehicle 50 is, for example, a front-engine front-wheel drive vehicle (FF vehicle), the tire 1F mounted on the front wheels is a drive tire, and the tire 1R mounted on the rear wheels is a driven tire. Note that the drive method and the steering method of the vehicle 50 are not particularly limited, and the vehicle 50 may have a drive method different from that of the FF vehicle and a steering method different from the front-wheel steering method.

[0024] Moreover, the vehicle 50 is not limited to a four-wheel passenger car, and may be a passenger car other than four wheels, a large vehicle such as a truck or a bus, a motorcycle, a racing vehicle, an industrial vehicle, a special vehicle, a load-carrying vehicle such as a trailer or a cart, etc.

[0025] The tire 1 is a non-pneumatic tire used for these various types of vehicles. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a tire 1 for a passenger car is exemplified. The tire 1 includes an annular tread ring 2 (an example of the tread portion of the present disclosure) having a tread surface 2S that contacts the road surface, a hub portion 3 (an example of the hub portion of the present disclosure) disposed inside the tread ring 2 in the radial direction, and a spoke portion 4 (an example of the spoke portion of the present disclosure). Note that the radial direction is a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction of the tire 1.

[0026] The tread ring 2 is a portion corresponding to the tread portion in a pneumatic tire, and has a tread rubber 2A forming the tread surface 2S and a reinforcing cord layer 2B. The reinforcing cord layer 2B is disposed inside the tread rubber 2A in the radial direction in the tread ring 2.

[0027] As the tread rubber 2A, a rubber composition excellent in frictional force against the ground and wear resistance is suitable. For example, the tread rubber 2A is formed of a rubber material mainly composed of a rubber component such as natural rubber (NR) or SBR (styrene-butadiene rubber). The tread rubber 2A may be mainly composed of a rubber component used in the tire industry, and the rubber component is not particularly limited. Further, tread grooves (not shown) having various pattern shapes are formed on the tread surface 2S of the surface portion of the tread rubber 2A.

[0028] The reinforcing cord layer 2B is composed of a plurality of layers, and has an outer breaker 5 disposed on the outer side in the radial direction, an inner breaker 6 disposed on the inner side in the radial direction, and a shear rubber layer 7 made of a highly elastic rubber disposed between them.

[0029] The outer breaker 5 is composed of a plurality of (for example, two) outer plies. The outer ply is a cord layer in which a high-elasticity reinforcing cord such as a steel cord is arranged obliquely at an angle of 5 degrees to 85 degrees, preferably 10 degrees to 35 degrees, with respect to the tire circumferential direction. The reinforcing cords of each outer ply are arranged so as to cross each other.

[0030] The inner breaker 6 is composed of one or more inner plies in which a high-elasticity reinforcing cord such as a steel cord is spirally wound in the tire circumferential direction. The shear rubber layer 7 is composed of a high-elasticity rubber having a complex elastic modulus E* of preferably 70 MPa or more, more preferably 90 MPa or more.

[0031] The reinforcing cord layer 2B has a sandwich structure in which the shear rubber layer 7 made of high-elasticity rubber is sandwiched between the outer breaker 5 and the inner breaker 6 from both sides in the radial direction. For this reason, the rigidity of the tread ring 2 is significantly increased, and high rolling performance can be realized.

[0032] The hub portion 3 corresponds to a tire wheel and is a portion fixed to the vehicle axle J (see FIG. 4) of the vehicle 50. The hub portion 3 has a disk portion 3A in a disk shape fixed to the vehicle axle J and a cylindrical spoke attachment portion 3B integrally formed at an outer end portion (outer end portion) in the radial direction of the disk portion 3A. A hub hole 3A1 through which the front end portion Ja of the vehicle axle J is inserted is formed at the center of the disk portion 3A. Further, in the disk portion 3A, a plurality of bolt insertion holes 3A2 through which the bolt portion Jb of the vehicle axle J is inserted are formed around the hub hole 3A1. The hub portion 3 is made of a metal material such as steel, aluminum alloy, or magnesium alloy, like the tire wheel. Of course, the hub portion 3 may be made of a polymer material such as synthetic resin having the same rigidity and strength as the above-described metal material.

[0033] The spoke portion 4 connects the tread ring 2 and the hub portion 3 and is made of a polymer material such as synthetic resin, for example. The spoke portion 4 is integrally formed with the tread ring 2 and the hub portion 3 by casting molding with a polymer material. As the polymer material, thermoplastic resins, thermosetting resins, etc. are suitable, and from the viewpoint of safety, thermosetting resins such as epoxy resins, phenolic resins, urethane resins, silicone resins, polyimide resins, and melamine resins are suitable, and in particular, urethane resins having excellent elastic properties are more suitable.

[0034] The spoke portion 4 has a tread-side annular portion 8 joined to the inner peripheral surface of the tread ring 2, a hub-side annular portion 9 joined to the outer peripheral surface of the hub portion 3, and a plurality of spoke plates 4A extending from the hub-side annular portion 9 to the tread-side annular portion 8. Note that the spoke plate 4A is also referred to as a blade.

[0035] In this embodiment, as the tire 1 mounted on the vehicle 50, a non-pneumatic tire having the above-described configuration is exemplified. However, for example, the tire 1 is not limited to the above-described configuration as long as it is a non-pneumatic type tire not filled with air inside. For example, the tire 1 may not include the spoke portion 4, and the portion from the hub portion 3 to the tread ring 2 may be made of a tread rubber containing a rubber component (rubber material) such as natural rubber (NR) or SBR (styrene-butadiene rubber).

[0036] As shown in FIG. 5, the vehicle 50 is provided with various sensors such as a wheel speed sensor 51, a lateral acceleration sensor 52, a vibration sensor 53, a temperature sensor 54, a thickness sensor 55, a steering angle sensor 56, a brake sensor 57, and a tread surface sensor 58. The sensors 51 to 55 are fixed to the hub portion 3 and the spoke portion 4 of the tire 1 via a predetermined mounting member (not shown).

[0037] The wheel speed sensor 51 detects the wheel speed signal (rotation speed information) of the tire 1 during traveling. The control unit 61 of the control unit 60 calculates the rotation speed of the tire 1 (tire rotation speed), the traveling speed of the vehicle 50, and the acceleration in the traveling direction of the vehicle 50 based on the wheel speed signal received from the wheel speed sensor 51. The control unit 61 stores, as an example of the state data indicating the state of the vehicle 50 when the tire 1 is used, the tire cumulative rotation number indicating the cumulative value of the calculated tire rotation number, the traveling speed variation history indicating the time-series variation of the traveling speed, and the acceleration variation history indicating the time-series variation of the acceleration in the storage unit 62 of the control unit 60.

[0038] The lateral acceleration sensor 52 is attached to the hub-side annular portion 9. The lateral acceleration sensor 52 detects the lateral acceleration (lateral acceleration) applied to the tire 1 during traveling. The control unit 61 stores the lateral acceleration variation history indicating the time-series variation of the lateral acceleration in the storage unit 62 as an example of the state data.

[0039] The excessive tire rotation speed, traveling speed, acceleration, and lateral acceleration are considered to cause a large load on the tire 1 and deteriorate the tire 1. Therefore, the state data such as the tire cumulative rotation number, the traveling speed variation history, the acceleration variation history, and the lateral acceleration variation history can be said to be information that affects the deterioration of the tire 1 (deterioration-related information of the present disclosure).

[0040] The vibration sensor 53 is attached to the spoke plate 4A of the spoke portion 4 of the tire 1 and the spoke attachment portion 3B of the hub portion 3. The vibration sensor 53 detects the vibration generated in the tire 1 when the vehicle 50 is traveling, specifically, the vibration generated in the spoke plate 4A and the spoke attachment portion 3B. In the present embodiment, each vibration sensor 53 detects the vibration value generated in the spoke plate 4A and the spoke attachment portion 3B when the vehicle 50 travels at a predetermined set speed. The set speed is, for example, a low speed range (30 to 60 km / h). The control unit 61 stores the vibration value detected by the vibration sensor 53 and the average value of the vibration values for each fixed period (average vibration value) in the storage unit 62 as an example of the state data.

[0041] Excessive vibration is considered to cause a large load on the tire 1 and deteriorate the tire 1. Therefore, the state data such as the vibration value and the average vibration value can be said to be information (deterioration-related information of the present disclosure) that affects the deterioration of the tire 1.

[0042] The temperature sensor 54 detects the temperature of the tread ring 2 of the tire 1 during running or stopping (tread temperature). The temperature sensor 54 is provided in the tread-side annular portion 8 of each tire 1, and detects the tread temperature transmitted from the tread ring 2 to the tread-side annular portion 8. The control unit 61 stores the tread temperature and the tread temperature change history indicating the time-series change of the tread temperature in the storage unit 62 as the state data. Note that the tread temperature change history may be stored in the storage unit 62 separately as a running temperature history acquired during running of the vehicle 50 and a stopping temperature history acquired during stopping of the vehicle 50.

[0043] Note that the high temperature of the tread ring 2 of the tire 1 may cause a load on the tire 1 and deteriorate the tire 1. Therefore, the high temperature of the tread ring 2 is considered to be a cause of deteriorating the tire 1. Therefore, the tread temperature and the tread temperature change history can be said to be information (deterioration-related information of the present disclosure) that affects the deterioration of the tire 1.

[0044] The thickness sensor 55 detects the thickness of the tread ring 2 of the tire 1 (the thickness from the reinforcing cord layer 2B to the tread surface 2S). Two thickness sensors 55 are provided in the tread-side annular portion 8 of each tire 1 and are attached at a predetermined interval in the width direction of the tire 1. The control unit 61 calculates the wear amount of the tread rubber 2A (tread wear amount) by subtracting the current thickness detected by the thickness sensor 55 from the initial thickness of the tread ring 2. Further, the control unit 61 stores the tread wear amount and the tread wear history indicating the change over time of the tread wear amount in the storage unit 62 as an example of the state data.

[0045] When the tread rubber 2A of the tire 1 wears out, the impact and load received by the tire 1 from the road surface during driving increase, which may deteriorate the tire 1. Specifically, cracks may occur or damage may occur in the hub portion 3 or the spoke portion 4 due to the impact or load. In addition, cracks may occur or the tread ring 2 may burst. Therefore, the wear of the tread rubber 2A is considered to be a cause of deteriorating the tire 1. Therefore, it can be said that the tread wear amount and the tread wear history are information (deterioration-related information of the present disclosure) that affect the deterioration of the tire 1.

[0046] Each of the sensors 51 to 55 is connected to a transmitter (not shown) provided in the tire 1, and the detection values of each of the sensors 51 to 55 are transmitted to the control unit 60 via the transmitter. Each of the sensors 51 to 55 may have any configuration as long as it can output a detection value of a detection target or a signal indicating the detection value. In addition, as long as each of the sensors 51 to 55 can detect the detection value of the detection target, the mounting position and the detection method thereof are not particularly limited. When each of the sensors 51 to 55 is communicably connected to the control unit 60 wirelessly or via a wire, the detection value may be transmitted from each of the sensors 51 to 55 to the control unit 60 individually.

[0047] The steering angle sensor 56 detects the steering angle, which is the rotation angle of the steering wheel 503. The steering angle sensor 56 is provided, for example, on the steering shaft of the steering wheel 503. The steering angle sensor 56 is communicably connected to the control unit 60 wirelessly or via a wire, and the steering angle (detection value) detected by the steering angle sensor 56 is transmitted to the control unit 60. The steering angle sensor 56 may have any configuration as long as it can detect the steering angle of the steering wheel 503, and the mounting position and the detection method thereof are not particularly limited.

[0048] The control unit 61 stores, as an example of the state data, a steering angle history indicating the time-series variation of the detected steering angle during driving in the storage unit 62.

[0049] The brake sensor 57 detects the presence or absence of a braking operation and the depression amount (operation amount) when the driver performs a braking operation. The brake sensor 57 is, for example, a rotary encoder or a potentiometer provided on the brake pedal. The brake sensor 57 is communicably connected to the control unit 60 wirelessly or through a wire, and the presence or absence (detection value) of the operation and the depression amount (detection value) detected by the brake sensor 57 are transmitted to the control unit 60. The brake sensor 57 may have any configuration as long as it can detect a detection value related to the braking operation, and its mounting position and detection method are not particularly limited.

[0050] The control unit 61 stores, as an example of the state data, the number of brake operations indicating the cumulative number of brake operations during traveling and the depression amount history indicating the history of the depression amount for each brake operation in the storage unit 62.

[0051] Note that since the steering angle of the steering wheel 503, the number of brake operations, and the depression amount affect the friction between the tire 1 mounted on the vehicle 50 and the road surface, the operation angle, the number of brake operations, the depression amount, and the depression amount history can be said to be information (degradation-related information of the present disclosure) that affects the degradation of the tire 1.

[0052] The tread surface sensor 58 detects information for measuring the presence or absence of the tread grooves and the depth of the tread grooves on the tread surface 2S of the surface of the tread ring 2 of the tire 1. As the tread surface sensor 58, for example, a scanning type optical distance sensor provided on the inner surface of a tire house (not shown) of the vehicle 50 can be applied. The optical distance sensor emits laser light that scans in the tire width direction with respect to the tread surface 2S, and measures the distance to the tread surface 2S to be detected by receiving the reflected light reflected by the tread surface 2S. Further, the optical distance sensor generates and outputs trace data that traces the uneven shape in the width direction of the tread surface 2S. Therefore, the control unit 61 of the control unit 60 can measure the presence or absence of the tread grooves and the depth of the tread grooves on the tread surface 2S based on the trace data. Note that instead of the optical distance sensor, a plurality of reflection type photointerrupters (also referred to as photoreflectors) arranged along the width direction on the inner surface of the tire house can also be applied. Further, instead of the optical distance sensor, a camera that images the tread surface 2S, a line sensor that can detect the shape in the tire width direction, or the like can also be applied.

[0053] The control unit 61 stores, as an example of the state data, the groove depth of the tread groove and a tread groove history indicating the change over time of the groove depth in the storage unit 62.

[0054] Note that since the groove depth of the tread groove on the tread surface 2S affects braking performance and drainage performance, it can be said to be information (deterioration-related information of the present disclosure) that affects the deterioration of the tire 1.

[0055] Further, the vehicle 50 is provided with an operation switch 59. The operation switch 59 is a switch member operated by a driver or the like, and when the operation switch 59 is operated, its operation signal is transmitted to the control unit 60.

[0056] In addition, the tire 1 is provided with a memory 67 (an example of a storage unit) in which the identification information (tire identification information) of the tire 1 is stored. The memory 67 is a non-volatile storage device. The memory 67 is fixed to the hub portion 3, the spoke portion 4, etc. of the tire 1 via a predetermined mounting member (not shown). The identification information may be any information that can distinguish the tire 1 from other tires. For example, it is an ID number assigned to each tire. Further, the identification information may include the size, manufacturer name, model number, product name, manufacturing date, etc. of the tire 1. When the tire 1 is mounted on the vehicle 50, the identification information is transmitted to the control unit 60 and stored in the storage unit 62.

[0057] When the key switch of the vehicle 50 is turned on with the tire 1 mounted on the vehicle 50, the tire identification information in the memory 67 is transmitted to the control unit 60 and stored in the storage unit 62 of the control unit 60.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 5, the vehicle 50 includes a control unit 60 that centrally controls the vehicle 50. The control unit 60 is an information processing device capable of executing various arithmetic processes. The control unit 60 includes a control unit 61, a storage unit 62, a communication unit 63, a GPS reception unit 64 (an example of an information acquisition unit of the present disclosure), an output unit 65, an input unit 66, etc.

[0059] The communication unit 63 is a communication interface for wirelessly connecting the control unit 60 to a predetermined communication network and performing data communication according to a predetermined communication protocol with an external device such as the communication device 40 via the communication network.

[0060] The GPS reception unit 64 acquires position information (vehicle position information) indicating the position of the vehicle 50. The GPS reception unit 64 receives signals from GPS satellites and further performs predetermined arithmetic processing to detect the position of the vehicle 50 on the ground. The detected position information is transmitted to the control unit 61 and used for arithmetic processing such as processing for specifying the traveling position of the vehicle 50 and processing for specifying the traveling route of the vehicle 50.

[0061] In this embodiment, based on the vehicle position information specified while the vehicle 50 is stopped or traveling, the travel route of the vehicle 50 is specified by the control unit 61. Also, based on the vehicle position information, the travel distance of the vehicle 50 is calculated by the control unit 61. The control unit 61 stores the vehicle position information in the storage unit 62 as an example of the state data. Further, the control unit 61 stores the travel route information indicating the travel route and the travel distance information indicating the travel distance in the storage unit 62 as an example of the state data.

[0062] Note that the environment around the stop position or travel position of the vehicle 50, the state of the road surface on which the vehicle 50 has traveled, and the travel distance of the vehicle can cause the tire 1 to deteriorate. For example, when the environment is poor, when the vehicle 50 is traveling on a rough road surface, or when the travel distance is extremely long, an excessive load is applied to the tread ring 2, hub portion 3, spoke portion 4, etc. of the tire 1, which may cause the tire 1 to deteriorate. Therefore, the vehicle position information, the travel route information, and the travel distance information can be said to be information (deterioration-related information) that affects the deterioration of the tire 1.

[0063] The storage unit 62 is a non-volatile storage medium or storage device such as a flash memory that stores various types of information. For example, a control program for causing the control unit 61 to execute various processes is stored in the storage unit 62. The control program is stored in an external storage device such as a server device or an external storage that can communicate with the communication unit 63, and is read from the external storage device and copied to the storage unit 62. Alternatively, the control program may be non-temporarily recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD or DVD, and may be read by a reading device (not shown) electrically connected to the control unit 60 and copied to the storage unit 62.

[0064] In addition, the storage unit 62 stores the detection values and data transmitted from each of the sensors 51 to 58, and also stores the detection values and data detected by the GPS receiver 64. Further, the storage unit 62 stores the various state data described above (the cumulative tire rotation number, the driving speed fluctuation history, the acceleration fluctuation history, the lateral acceleration fluctuation history, the vibration value, the average vibration value, the tread temperature fluctuation history, the tread thickness history, the steering angle history, the brake operation count, the depression amount history, the tread groove history, etc.). Also, the storage unit 62 stores the vehicle position information, the travel route information, and the travel distance information, etc.

[0065] The output unit 65 is an interface that outputs the results of various processes executed by the control unit 61. For example, the instrument unit 501 and the display device 502 mounted on the vehicle 50 are connected to the output unit 65. The control unit 61 outputs, for example, speed information to the instrument unit 501 via the output unit 65. Also, the control unit 61 outputs various information in response to a display request from a driver or the like, and the determination results determined by the abnormality determination process (see FIG. 7) described later to the display device 502 via the output unit 65.

[0066] The input unit 66 is an interface that is connected wirelessly or wired to various sensors 51 to 58 provided in the vehicle 50 and the operation switch 59. Signals output from the sensors 51 to 58, the operation switch 59, etc. are input to the input unit 66.

[0067] The control unit 61 includes control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various arithmetic processes. The ROM is a non-volatile memory in which control programs such as BIOS and OS for causing the CPU to execute various processes are stored in advance. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile memory that stores various information and is used as a temporary storage memory (working area) for various processes executed by the CPU. Then, the control unit 61 executes various processes described later by causing the CPU to execute various control programs stored in advance in the ROM or the storage unit 42.

[0068] The control unit 61 includes various processing units such as a conversion processing unit 611 and a display processing unit 612. The control unit 61 functions as the various processing units by executing various processes according to the control program with the CPU. Note that some or all of the processing units included in the control unit 61 may be configured by electronic circuits. Also, each of the processes described later performed by the conversion processing unit 611 may be executed by separate processing units. Further, the control program may be a program for causing a plurality of processors to function as the various processing units.

[0069] The conversion processing unit 611 performs a process of converting the detection values and data input from the various sensors 51 to 58 to the input unit 66 into state data related to the detection values and the data. Also, the conversion processing unit 611 performs a process of generating the state data related to the detection values and the data based on the detection values and the data.

[0070] Here, the state data is an example of the deterioration-related information of the present disclosure, and includes, for example, the rotation speed of the tire 1 (tire rotation speed), the traveling speed of the vehicle 50, the acceleration of the vehicle 50, the lateral acceleration applied to the tire 1, the temperature of the tread ring 2 of the tire 1 (tread temperature), the groove depth of the tread groove of the tread surface 2S of the tire 1, the wear amount of the tread ring 2 of the tire 1 (tread wear amount), the uneven wear amount in the tread ring 2, the steering angle of the vehicle 50, the number of brake operations, the depression amount of the brake, the vibration value generated in the tire 1 (for example, the spoke plate 4A or the spoke attachment portion 3B) during the traveling of the vehicle 50, the average vibration value, and the like. Also, the state data includes the average value, the maximum value, the minimum value, etc. of each of these elements. Further, for the tire rotation speed and the number of brake operations, the rotation speed or the number per a specified traveling distance may be included in the state data. These state data are information on causes that may directly or indirectly affect the deterioration of the tire 1 during the traveling of the vehicle 50.

[0071] The tire rotation speed, the traveling speed, and the acceleration can be converted or generated based on the detected value (wheel speed signal) of the wheel speed sensor 51. The lateral acceleration can be converted or generated based on the detected value of the lateral acceleration sensor 52. The vibration value of the tire 1 can be converted or generated based on the detected value of the vibration sensor 53. The tread temperature can be converted or generated based on the detected value of the temperature sensor 54.

[0072] The depth of the tread groove of the tread surface 2S can be converted or generated based on the data output from the tread surface sensor 58.

[0073] The tread wear amount can be converted or generated based on the detected value of the thickness sensor 55. The uneven wear amount indicates the degree of uneven wear in the tread ring 2 of the tire 1. One specific example of the uneven wear amount is, for example, the difference in thickness at both ends in the width direction of the tread ring 2, and it can be converted or generated based on the difference in the detected values of a pair of thickness sensors 55 provided at intervals in the width direction on the inner cavity surface of the tire 1.

[0074] Note that the uneven wear that occurs in the tread ring 2 of the tire 1 includes so-called shoulder wear (outer wear, inner wear), both-shoulder wear, center wear, toe-in wear, toe-out wear, local wear, wavy wear, pit-like wear, saw-tooth wear (heel & toe wear), etc. Regarding the presence or absence of these uneven wears and the degree of uneven wear (uneven wear amount), it can be determined and measured by appropriately adjusting the number and arrangement positions of the thickness sensors 55 attached to the tire 1.

[0075] The steering angle can be converted or generated based on the detected value of the steering angle sensor 56. The number of braking operations and the amount of brake depression can be converted or generated based on the detected value of the brake sensor 57.

[0076] The state data including the various types of information obtained by the conversion processing unit 611 is stored in the storage unit 62 for each piece of identification information of the tire 1. Further, the state data stored in the storage unit 62 is transferred to the memory 67 of each tire 1, for example, at the timing when the vehicle 50 stops and the key is turned off, and is also stored in the memory 67. Therefore, even when the tire 1 is removed from the vehicle 50 and the tire 1 is mounted on another vehicle 50 as a used tire, the state data of the tire 1 can be inherited in the other vehicle 50.

[0077] These pieces of information (state data) stored in the storage unit 62 are information regarding causes that may affect the deterioration of the tire 1. For example, the larger the numerical values of the above-mentioned pieces of information (the tire rotation speed, the traveling speed, the acceleration, the lateral acceleration, the vibration value, the average vibration value, the tread temperature, the tread wear amount, etc.), the greater the load on the tire 1, and it is considered that the deterioration or wear of each part of the tire 1 is promoted. Conversely, the smaller the numerical values of the above-mentioned pieces of information, the smaller the load on the tire 1, and it is considered that each part of the tire 1 is less likely to deteriorate and less likely to wear. These state data are used in the abnormality determination process (see FIG. 7) described later.

[0078] Note that the tread temperature tends to rise when the traveling load is high, such as when the vehicle 50 is traveling at high speed or on a road with many curves. Also, when damage such as cracks or peeling occurs inside the tread ring 2 that is difficult to visually recognize from the outside, the tread temperature tends to be higher than when no such damage has occurred. This is because when the tread surface 2S of the tire 1 contacts the road surface in a state where the damage has occurred inside the tread ring 2, the tread ring 2 and the spoke portion 4 of the tire 1 are excessively deformed, and the repetition of this deformation and restoration when not in contact with the ground causes the temperature of the tread ring 2 to rise more than normal.

[0079] Further, the conversion processing unit 611 performs processing to generate the travel route of the vehicle 50 from the vehicle position information based on the vehicle position information of the vehicle 50 input from the GPS receiving unit 64 to the input unit 66, and processing to calculate the travel distance for each type of travel route. The travel route is included in the state data. For example, as information on the travel route, the travel distance for each type of travel route can be considered. Specifically, as information on the travel route, the distance traveled on flat roads (flat road travel distance), the distance traveled on mountain roads (mountain road travel distance), the distance traveled on roads in the city (city travel distance), the distance traveled on highways (highway travel distance), etc. are cumulatively stored in the storage unit 62. These pieces of information are also information related to causes that may affect the deterioration of the tire 1 (deterioration-related information). That is, the higher the ratio of the mountain road travel distance or the highway travel distance to the total travel distance traveled on the tire 1, the greater the load on the tire 1, and it is considered that the deterioration or wear of each part of the tire 1 is promoted. Conversely, the higher the ratio of the flat road travel distance or the city travel distance, the smaller the load on the tire 1, and it becomes difficult for each part of the tire 1 to deteriorate and wear. The information on these travel distances is used in the abnormality determination processing (see FIG. 7) described later. Note that the flat road, the mountain road, the road in the city, the highway, etc. are examples of the types of travel routes described above.

[0080] The display processing unit 612 performs processing to display various information on the display device 502. For example, when the result of the abnormality determination processing (determination result) described later is transmitted from the abnormality determination device 10, the display processing unit 612 can display the determination result on the display screen of the display device 502.

[0081] [Database Unit 30] In the database unit 30, a state data storage unit 31 and a business office data storage unit 32 are allocated as storage areas.

[0082] In the state data storage unit 31, the state data acquired by the abnormality determination device 10 from the vehicle 50 is stored separately for each identification information of the tire 1. The identification information is given to the tire 1, and the state data is stored in the state data storage unit 31 for each piece of the identification information. Therefore, even when the tire 1 is removed from the vehicle 50 and the tire 1 is mounted on another vehicle 50 as a used tire, the previous state data can be inherited and updated with the information and data newly detected by the other vehicle 50 for the state data.

[0083] In the business office data storage unit 32, business office data (an example of the business office location data of the present disclosure) including the business office location information used in the abnormality determination process (see FIG. 7) described later is stored. The business office location information is information indicating the location of the repair business office where repair work such as repair and maintenance of the vehicle 50 and repair and replacement of the tire 1 can be performed. For example, the business office location information includes the name of the predetermined repair business office, location information (address), contact information (phone number or email address), and the like. The business office data includes the business office location information of a plurality of the repair business offices.

[0084] [Abnormality determination device 10] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 6, the specific configuration of the abnormality determination device 10 will be described. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the abnormality determination device 10.

[0085] The abnormality determination device 10 is for realizing the determination system 100 of the present embodiment, and as shown in FIG. 6, includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, a display unit 14, and an operation unit 15.

[0086] The communication unit 13 is a communication interface for connecting the abnormality determination device 10 to a predetermined network (communication network) by wire or wirelessly and performing data communication with each device connected to the network according to a predetermined communication protocol. Specifically, the communication unit 13 performs data communication with the communication device 40 and the database unit 30 through the network.

[0087] The storage unit 12 is a non-volatile storage device such as a semiconductor memory, HDD, or SSD that stores various types of information and data. In this embodiment, a configuration in which the storage unit 12 is provided in the abnormality determination device 10 is illustrated. However, for example, part or all of the various information and data in the storage unit 12 may be stored in an external device such as another server device or storage device that can communicate data with the abnormality determination device 10 through the network or the Internet. In this case, the abnormality determination device 10 reads necessary information from the external device and stores information in the external device as needed.

[0088] The storage unit 12 stores a control program for causing the control unit 11 to execute various control processes and the abnormality determination process described later with reference to FIG. 7. The control program is stored in an external storage device such as a server device or an external storage that can communicate with the communication unit 13, and is read from the external storage device and stored (copied) in the storage unit 12. Alternatively, the control program may be non-temporarily recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD or DVD, and read by a reading device (not shown) electrically connected to the abnormality determination device 10 and stored (copied) in the storage unit 12.

[0089] In addition, the storage unit 12 stores the business location information used in the abnormality determination process (see FIG. 7) described later. Here, the business location information is information indicating the location of the repair business where repair work such as repairing or maintaining the vehicle 50 and replacing the tire 1 is performed. For example, the storage unit 12 stores table data including the names, location information (addresses), contact information (phone numbers or email addresses), etc. of a plurality of predetermined repair businesses as the business location information.

[0090] In addition, the storage unit 12 stores a calculation formula described later for calculating an evaluation value used in the abnormality determination process described later.

[0091] The evaluation value is an index used to determine the presence or absence of precursors of abnormalities in Tire 1, and is also an index used to determine the presence or absence of abnormalities in Tire 1. In other words, the evaluation value is an index used to determine whether Tire 1 is in a normal state where it can run, whether Tire 1 is in a state where it can run but is likely to have an abnormality, or whether Tire 1 is in an abnormal state where running is dangerous. The evaluation value is determined based on the state data.

[0092] For example, when the evaluation value is S, the tire rotation speed is x1, the average speed of the traveling speed is x2, the number of occurrences of over-acceleration is x3, the number of occurrences of excessive lateral acceleration is x4, the vibration value is x5, the average temperature of the tread temperature is x6, the tread wear amount is x7, the uneven wear amount is x8, the number of occurrences of over-steering angle is x9, the number of brake operations is x 10 and the number of occurrences of over-pedal depression amount is x 11 then the evaluation value S can be calculated by the calculation formula of the following formula (1) using each numerical value of the above state data. Here, the over-acceleration is an acceleration exceeding a predetermined threshold value (predetermined value). Also, the excessive lateral acceleration is an excessive lateral acceleration exceeding a predetermined threshold value (predetermined value). The over-steering angle is an excessive steering angle exceeding a predetermined threshold value (predetermined angle). The over-pedal depression amount is an excessive pedal depression amount exceeding a predetermined threshold value (predetermined amount).

[0093]

Equation

[0094] The coefficient t k (t1, t2, t3, ···, t 11 ) in Equation (1) is a weight coefficient assigned to each numerical value x k (x1, x2, x3, ···, x 11 ) of the state data, and each numerical value x kIt is a coefficient determined by which one of them is emphasized. Further, the coefficient h is a weight coefficient applied according to the driving route traveled on the tire 1. For example, when the ratio of the mountain road driving distance or the highway driving distance to the total driving distance is higher than the reference distance, the coefficient h is set to a value greater than 1 determined according to the difference (excess amount) from the reference distance. When the coefficient h is applied, the evaluation value S becomes larger than when the coefficient h is not applied. Also, when the ratio of the flat road driving distance or the urban driving distance to the total driving distance is higher than the reference value, the coefficient h is set to a value smaller than 1 determined according to the difference (excess amount) from the reference distance. In this case, the evaluation value S becomes smaller than when the coefficient h is not applied. Note that when the ratio of the mountain road driving distance or the highway driving distance is less than the reference distance and the ratio of the flat road driving distance or the urban driving distance is less than the reference distance, the coefficient h is set to "1".

[0095] As can be understood from the above calculation formula, the evaluation value S is the sum of the numerical values t k x k Therefore, the larger the evaluation value S, the greater the damage to the tire 1, and it is considered that there is a high possibility that peeling, cracking, or damage has occurred in the tire 1. Also, the smaller the evaluation value S, the smaller the damage to the tire 1, and it is considered that there is a low possibility that peeling, cracking, or damage has occurred in the tire 1. That is, the evaluation value S is an index indicating the degree of the state of the tire 1. The smaller the numerical value, the less deterioration has progressed and it indicates a good state (normal), and the larger the numerical value, the more deterioration has progressed, indicating an abnormal state in which peeling, cracking, or damage has occurred in the tire 1.

[0096] In the present embodiment, a first threshold value (an example of the first reference value of the present disclosure) and a second threshold value (an example of the second reference value of the present disclosure) are used as threshold values for determining the state of the tire 1. Each threshold value is stored in the storage unit 12. For example, when the evaluation value S is less than the first threshold value, the control unit 11 determines that the tire 1 is normal. Also, when the evaluation value S is greater than or equal to the first threshold value and less than the second threshold value, the control unit 11 determines that the tire 1 is not abnormal but is in a state where a precursor of an abnormality, one step before the abnormality, has occurred. Further, when the evaluation value S is greater than or equal to the second threshold value, the control unit 11 determines that the tire 1 is in a driving-dangerous abnormal state.

[0097] Note that the abnormality in the tire 1 refers to an abnormal state in which peeling, cracking, or damage has occurred in the tire 1. Also, the precursor of an abnormality is an event that appears when the vehicle 50 can be used without problems during driving but is in a state that should be vigilant before the tire 1 reaches an abnormal state, and in the present embodiment, it is indicated by the numerical value of the evaluation value S. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the evaluation value S is greater than or equal to the second threshold value, it is evaluated that peeling, cracking, or damage has occurred in the tire 1. Also, when the evaluation value S is greater than or equal to the first threshold value and less than the second threshold value, the numerical value of the evaluation value S within that range is evaluated as a precursor of an abnormality in the tire 1.

[0098] Note that when determining the evaluation value S, for example, an index indicating the usage period, the elapsed time after manufacture, or the state of the environment in which the vehicle 50 is used may be used.

[0099] The display unit 14 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display that displays various types of information, or a touch panel that enables direct touch input to the screen. The operation unit 15 is an input device such as a mouse, a keyboard, or a touch panel that receives an operation by an operator.

[0100] The control unit 11 controls the operations of each part of the abnormality determination device 10. The control unit 11 includes control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various arithmetic processes. The ROM is a non-volatile storage medium in which control programs such as BIOS and OS for causing the CPU to execute various arithmetic processes are stored in advance. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage medium that stores various information and is used as a temporary storage memory (working area) for various arithmetic processes executed by the CPU. Then, the control unit 11 controls the abnormality determination device 10 by causing the CPU to execute various control programs stored in advance in the ROM or the storage unit 12.

[0101] As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 11 includes various processing units such as a data acquisition unit 111, a first determination processing unit 112 (an example of the first determination processing unit of the present disclosure), a second determination processing unit 113 (an example of the second determination processing unit of the present disclosure), a third determination processing unit 114 (an example of the third determination processing unit of the present disclosure), and an output processing unit 115 (an example of the output processing unit of the present disclosure). The control unit 11 functions as the various processing units by causing the CPU to execute various arithmetic processes according to the control program. The control unit 11 or the CPU is an example of a computer or a processor that executes the control program. Note that some or all of the processing units included in the control unit 11 may be configured by electronic circuits. Further, the control program may be a program for causing a plurality of processors to function as the various processing units.

[0102] The data acquisition unit 111 is an example of the related information acquisition unit of the present disclosure. When the data acquisition unit 111 operates as the related information acquisition unit, the data acquisition unit 111 performs a process of acquiring the state data that can affect the deterioration of the tire 1. Specifically, when the communication between the communication device 40 and the vehicle 50 is established, the data acquisition unit 111 performs a process of acquiring the state data from the vehicle 50. In addition, the data acquisition unit 111 performs a process of acquiring the identification information of the tire 1 from the vehicle 50. In the present embodiment, the data acquisition unit 111 transmits a state data acquisition request to the vehicle 50. When the control unit 61 of the vehicle 50 receives the data acquisition request, in response to the state data acquisition request, the control unit 61 reads out the identification information and the state data corresponding to the identification information in the storage unit 62 from the storage unit 62 and transmits them to the abnormality determination device 10.

[0103] The data acquisition unit 111 is an example of the vehicle position information acquisition unit of the present disclosure. When the data acquisition unit 111 operates as the vehicle position information acquisition unit, the data acquisition unit 111 performs a process of acquiring, via the communication device 40, the position information of the vehicle 50 at the current time acquired by the GPS reception unit 64 (see FIG. 5) of the vehicle 50. In the present embodiment, the data acquisition unit 111 transmits a vehicle position acquisition request to the vehicle 50. When the control unit 61 of the vehicle 50 receives the vehicle position acquisition request, the control unit 61 transmits the vehicle position information output from the GPS reception unit 64 to the abnormality determination device 10.

[0104] The first determination processing unit 112 performs a process of determining the presence or absence of a precursor of an abnormality in the tire 1 or the presence or absence of an abnormality in the tire 1 based on the state data acquired by the data acquisition unit 111.

[0105] Specifically, the first determination processing unit 112 calculates the evaluation value S of the tire 1 to be determined using the state data. More specifically, the first determination processing unit 112 substitutes each numerical value x included in the state data into the calculation formula represented by Equation (1), k and predetermined coefficients h, t kBy applying the above, the evaluation value S is calculated. Then, when the evaluation value S is less than the first threshold value, the first determination processing unit 112 determines that the tire 1 is normal. Further, when the evaluation value S is equal to or greater than the first threshold value and less than the second threshold value, the first determination processing unit 112 determines that the tire 1 is not abnormal but is in a state where a precursor of an abnormality is occurring, which is one step before the abnormality. Further, when the evaluation value S is equal to or greater than the second threshold value, the first determination processing unit 112 determines that the tire 1 is in a dangerous abnormal state during running.

[0106] Note that the first threshold value can be determined based on the maximum value among the evaluation values S of a plurality of tires 1 determined to be normal by an inspector in a conventional tire inspection. Also, the second threshold value can be determined based on the maximum value among the evaluation values S of a plurality of tires 1 determined by an inspector to have a precursor of an abnormality.

[0107] In this embodiment, an example in which the first determination processing unit 112 determines the presence or absence of a precursor of an abnormality or the presence or absence of an abnormality using the evaluation value S will be described. For example, the first determination processing unit 112 may determine the presence or absence of a precursor of an abnormality or the presence or absence of an abnormality using at least one of the numerical values x k of the state data.

[0108] For example, when cracks occur in the hub portion 3 or the spoke portion 4 of the tire 1, or when the tread ring 2 peels off from the spoke portion 4, the vibration value x5 becomes extremely large. Therefore, when the vibration value x5 is less than the first threshold value, the first determination processing unit 112 may determine that the tire 1 is normal. Further, when the vibration value x5 is equal to or greater than the first threshold value and less than the second threshold value, the first determination processing unit 112 may determine that the tire 1 is in a state where a precursor of an abnormality is occurring. Further, when the vibration value x5 is equal to or greater than the second threshold value, the first determination processing unit 112 may determine that the tire 1 is in a dangerous abnormal state during running.

[0109] When the first determination processing unit 112 determines that there is a precursor or an abnormality of the abnormality, the second determination processing unit 113 determines at least one or a plurality of the travelable time until the tire 1 becomes in a non-travelable state where it cannot travel due to the abnormality, the travelable distance until the tire 1 becomes in the non-travelable state, and the limited speed at which the tire 1 can travel safely. Here, the non-travelable state means a state where the tread ring 2 of the tire 1 is completely peeled off, or a state where the hub portion 3 and the spoke portion 4 are damaged and the tire 1 cannot roll.

[0110] For example, when a third threshold value larger than the second threshold value is predetermined as a threshold value corresponding to the non-travelable state, the second determination processing unit 113 calculates a difference value between the evaluation value S calculated by the first determination processing unit 112 and the third threshold value, and based on the increasing tendency of the evaluation value S per unit period and the difference value, the travelable time can be calculated. Note that the increasing tendency can be obtained by calculating the evaluation value S at least twice with a time shift.

[0111] Also, the second determination processing unit 113 can calculate the travelable distance by multiplying the average speed x2 by the travelable time.

[0112] Also, when a limited speed correspondence table in which the evaluation value S and the limited speed are associated in advance is predetermined, the second determination processing unit 113 can obtain the limited speed by extracting the limited speed corresponding to the evaluation value S calculated by the first determination processing unit 112 from the limited speed correspondence table.

[0113] Note that as the third threshold value, for example, a value obtained by multiplying the second threshold value by a predetermined arbitrary coefficient (>1.0) can be adopted.

[0114] Based on the determination result by the second determination processing unit 113 and the vehicle position information acquired by the data acquisition unit 111, the third determination processing unit 114 determines whether there is a repair workshop at a position reachable by the vehicle 50 equipped with the tire 1 determined to have the precursor or the abnormality within the business office data in the business office data storage unit 32.

[0115] For example, the third determination processing unit 114 extracts the repair workshops within the range of the travelable distance from the current position of the vehicle 50 from the business office data. Since the business office data includes the location information (address) of each business office, the third determination processing unit 114 obtains the route length of the travel route from the current position of the vehicle 50 to the location position specified by the location information, and determines whether there is a repair workshop whose route length is shorter than the travelable distance. If there is a repair workshop that satisfies this condition, the third determination processing unit 114 extracts the business office information including the name, location, contact information, etc. of the business office from the business office data.

[0116] In addition, the third determination processing unit 114 extracts the repair workshops that the vehicle 50 can reach within the travelable time from the current position from the business office data. For example, the third determination processing unit 114 obtains the required time to reach from the route length of the travel route and the average speed of the vehicle 50, and determines whether there is a repair workshop whose required time is shorter than the travelable time. If there is a repair workshop that satisfies this condition, the third determination processing unit 114 extracts the business office information including the name, location, contact information, etc. of the business office from the business office data.

[0117] The output processing unit 115 performs a process of outputting the results of various processes executed in the determination system 100. In the present embodiment, the output processing unit 115 performs a process of outputting the determination result by the first determination processing unit 112 (the first determination result), the determination result by the second determination processing unit 113 (the second determination result), and the determination result by the third determination processing unit 114 (the third determination result).

[0118] The first determination result includes information indicating the presence or absence of a precursor to the abnormality or information indicating the presence or absence of the abnormality. The second determination result is any one or more of the available driving time, the available driving distance, and the speed limit. The third determination result includes information indicating the presence or absence of the corresponding repair workshop. Further, when there is a repair workshop determined to be reachable by the vehicle 50 in which an abnormality or the like has occurred in the tire 1, the third determination result includes the workshop information indicating the name, location, etc. of the workshop.

[0119] In the present embodiment, the output processing unit 115 performs a process of outputting each determination result to the vehicle 50 and displaying the information included in the repair agent information on the display screen of the display device 502 of the vehicle 50. Further, when there is a transfer request from the vehicle 50, the output processing unit 115 may output the determination result to the vehicle 50 in response to the transfer request. Note that the output processing unit 115 may output each determination result to the vehicle 50 regardless of the presence or absence of the transfer request. Further, the output processing unit 115 may output each determination result to the information terminals 71 and 72 as necessary or in response to a transfer request from the information terminals 71 and 72.

[0120] Further, the output processing unit 115 may output each determination result to the information terminal 72 installed in the repair workshop reachable by the third determination processing unit 114, and may not output each determination result to the information terminal 72 of the repair workshop that is unreachable.

[0121] [Abnormality determination process] Hereinafter, with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 7 and 8, an example of the procedure of the abnormality determination process executed in the determination system 100 will be described together with the tire abnormality determination method of the present disclosure. The abnormality determination process is a process for determining whether the tire 1 to be determined is normal, whether a precursor to an abnormality has occurred in the tire 1, or whether the tire 1 is in an abnormal state dangerous for driving. In the present embodiment, the abnormality determination process is performed on the tire 1 mounted on the vehicle 50.

[0122] Each process in the flowchart shown in FIG. 7 is a process executed by the control unit 61 of the control unit 60 provided in the vehicle 50. Further, each process in the flowchart shown in FIG. 8 is a process executed by the control unit 11 of the abnormality determination device 10. One or more steps included in the flowcharts of FIGS. 7 and 8 may be appropriately omitted, and the execution order of each step may be different within the range that produces the same operational effects.

[0123] As shown in FIG. 7, first, in the vehicle 50, the processes after step S101 are performed. Specifically, in step S101, when the control unit 61 of the control unit 60 determines that the determination start timing has arrived, in the next step S102, the control unit 61 performs a process of transmitting a state determination request for determining the state of the tire 1 to the abnormality determination device 10.

[0124] The determination start timing is the timing at which it is to be determined whether the tire 1 is normal. For example, it is the timing when a predetermined period has elapsed since the previous determination, or when the vehicle 50 has traveled a predetermined distance since the previous determination, or the timing that satisfies any one or both of these conditions. Further, the determination start timing may be the timing when the running cumulative time of the tire 1 has reached a predetermined set time, or when the running cumulative distance of the tire 1 has reached a predetermined set distance, or the timing that satisfies any one or both of these conditions. Each of these conditions is stored, for example, in the storage unit 62 of the vehicle 50. Further, the determination start timing may be the timing when an operation switch 59 provided in the vehicle 50 or the like is operated by the driver or a passenger, and a determination start instruction is input from the vehicle 50.

[0125] After transmitting the state determination request, when the abnormality determination device 10 receives a response signal for the state determination request, the control unit 61 performs a process of acquiring the state data in step S103. Specifically, the control unit 61 reads the state data regarding the mounted tire 1 from the storage unit 62 or the memory 67. At this time, the control unit 61 may acquire the tire identification information regarding the tire 1 from the storage unit 62 or the memory 67.

[0126] After that, the control unit 61 performs a process of transmitting the state data to the abnormality determination device 10 (S104). Note that the response signal is also a transmission request for transmitting the state data to the abnormality determination device 10.

[0127] As shown in FIG. 8, in the abnormality determination device 10, when the control unit 11 receives the state determination request from the vehicle 50 (S201), the control unit 11 transmits a response signal for the determination request to the vehicle 50 (S202). After that, the control unit 11 receives the state data transmitted from the vehicle 50 (S203). The process of step S203 is a process executed by the data acquisition unit 111 of the control unit 11. Note that step S203 is an example of a related information acquisition step of the present disclosure.

[0128] In step S203, when acquiring the state data transmitted from the vehicle 50, the control unit 11 performs a process of calculating the evaluation value S using the calculation formula shown in formula (1) and the state data (S204).

[0129] When the evaluation value S is calculated, in the next step S205, the control unit 11 performs a process of determining whether the evaluation value S is less than the first threshold value. This determination step S205 is a process for determining whether the tire 1 is normal. When the evaluation value S is less than the first threshold value, the control unit 11 determines that the tire 1 is normal. Therefore, when it is determined that the evaluation value S is less than the first threshold value, the control unit 11 determines that the tire 1 is normal and transmits normal information indicating that the tire 1 is normal to the vehicle 50 (S207).

[0130] On the other hand, when it is determined that the evaluation value S is equal to or greater than the first threshold value (No side of S205), the process of step S206 is performed.

[0131] In step S206, the control unit 11 performs a process of determining whether the evaluation value S is equal to or greater than the first threshold value and less than the second threshold value. This determination step S206 is a process for determining whether there is a sign of abnormality in the tire 1. When the evaluation value S is equal to or greater than the first threshold value and less than the second threshold value, the control unit 11 determines that there is a sign of abnormality in the tire 1. Therefore, when it is determined that the evaluation value S is equal to or greater than the first threshold value and less than the second threshold value, the control unit 11 determines that there is a sign of abnormality in the tire 1, and transmits warning information indicating that there is a sign of abnormality in the tire 1 to the vehicle 50 (S208).

[0132] On the other hand, in step S206, when it is determined that the evaluation value S is equal to or greater than the second threshold value (No side of S206), the control unit 11 determines that there is an abnormality in the tire 1, and transmits abnormality information indicating that the tire 1 is in an abnormal state to the vehicle 50 (S209).

[0133] The processes of steps S206 to S207 are processes executed by the first determination processing unit 112 of the control unit 11. Further, steps S206 to S207 are an example of the first determination step of the present disclosure.

[0134] The processes of steps S207 to S209 are processes executed by the output processing unit 115 of the control unit 11. Further, steps S207 to S209 are an example of the output step of the present disclosure.

[0135] Also, when a transfer request for requesting transfer of the determination result (the normal information, the warning information, or the abnormal information) by the first determination processing unit 112 is received (S210), the control unit 11 transmits the determination result to the source of the transfer request (S211). For example, when the control unit 11 has received the transfer request from the information terminals 71 and 72, the control unit 11 transmits the determination result to the information terminals 71 and 72. Thereafter, a series of processes ends. On the other hand, when the transfer request has not been received, a series of processes ends after the transmission process of any one of steps S207 to S209.

[0136] As shown in FIG. 7, in the vehicle 50, when the control unit 61 receives the determination result from the abnormality determination device 10 (S105), the control unit 61 performs a process of outputting the determination result to the display device 502 (S106). Specifically, the control unit 61 performs a process of displaying the determination result on the display device 502 of the vehicle 50. Also, when the repair agent information includes the price information and the repair effect, these pieces of information are also displayed on the display device 502. Thereafter, a series of processes ends.

[0137] As described above, in the determination system 100 of the present embodiment, based on the state data that can affect the deterioration of the tire 1, it is determined whether the tire 1 is normal, whether a sign of abnormality has occurred in the tire 1, or whether the tire 1 is in a dangerous abnormal state for traveling. Then, the determination result is output to the display device 502, the information terminal 71, and the information terminal 72. As a result, the user who has confirmed the determination result from the display device 502 and the information terminal 71 can grasp that a sign of abnormality has occurred in the tire 1 or that an abnormality has occurred in the tire 1 before the user himself / herself experiences the abnormality of the tire 1 during the traveling of the vehicle 50. Also, when the determination result is output to the information terminal 72, the worker related to the repair shop can grasp the state of the tire 1 before the vehicle 50 is brought into the repair shop.

[0138] [Second Embodiment] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 9, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. In the second embodiment, a part of the repair agent determination process executed in the abnormality determination device 10 is different from that in the above-described first embodiment. In the following, the differences from the first embodiment will be described, and the description of the common configurations will be omitted.

[0139] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing another example of the abnormality determination process executed by the control unit 11 of the abnormality determination device 10 in the present embodiment. In the abnormality determination process of the present embodiment, the content of the process after it is determined that a sign of an abnormality has occurred in the tire 1 and the content of the process after it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the tire 1 are different from those in the above-described first embodiment, and the other processes are the same.

[0140] As shown in FIG. 9, in step S206, when it is determined that the evaluation value S is equal to or greater than the first threshold value and less than the second threshold value, the control unit 11 performs, in the next step S2061, a process of calculating the travelable distance until the tire 1 reaches the non-travelable state. The process of step S2061 and the process of step S2064 described later are processes executed by the second determination processing unit of the control unit 11.

[0141] Thereafter, the control unit 11 performs, in step S2062, a process of determining whether there is a repair shop at a position that can be reached before the vehicle 50 reaches the non-travelable state. The process of step S2062 and the process of step S2066 described later are processes executed by the third determination processing unit of the control unit 11. For example, the control unit 11 determines whether the repair shop located within the range of the travelable distance from the current position of the vehicle 50 is included in the business establishment data.

[0142] When it is determined that the repair shop is included in the business establishment data, the control unit 11 extracts the business establishment information indicating the repair shop from the business establishment data (S2063), and transmits the warning information to the vehicle 50 together with the business establishment information (S208).

[0143] On the one hand, as shown in FIG. 9, in step S206, when it is determined that the evaluation value S is equal to or greater than the second threshold value, the control unit 11 performs, in the next step S2064, a process of calculating the remaining travelable distance until the tire 1 reaches the non-travelable state.

[0144] In the next step S2065, the control unit 11 performs a process of subtracting a predetermined amount from the travelable distance by multiplying the travelable distance by a predetermined reduction rate in step S2065. When the tire 1 is in an abnormal state, in order to ensure the driving safety of the vehicle 50, it is considered preferable to multiply the travelable distance by the reduction rate as compared with the case where a sign of abnormality has occurred in the tire 1.

[0145] After that, the control unit 11 performs, in step S2066, a process of determining whether there is a repair shop at a position that can be reached before the vehicle 50 reaches the non-travelable state.

[0146] When it is determined that the repair shop is included in the shop data, the control unit 11 extracts the shop information indicating the repair shop from the shop data (S2067), and transmits the abnormality information together with the shop information to the vehicle 50 (S209).

[0147] As described above, also in the determination system 100 according to the second embodiment, based on the state data that can affect the deterioration of the tire 1, it is appropriately determined whether the tire 1 is normal, whether a sign of abnormality has occurred in the tire 1, or whether the tire 1 is in a dangerous abnormal state for driving.

[0148] In the above-described second embodiment, the example of calculating the travelable distance in steps S2061 and S2064 has been described. However, for example, in steps S2061 and S2064, either one or both of the travelable distance or the travelable time may be calculated. Further, the control unit 11 may calculate the restricted speed in steps S2061 and S2064. In this case, the travelable distance may be calculated by multiplying the restricted speed by the travelable time.

[0149] Also, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the first determination processing unit 112 calculates the evaluation value S using the tire rotation speed x1, the average speed x2, the number of occurrences x3 of excessive acceleration, the number of occurrences x4 of excessive lateral acceleration, the vibration value x5, the average temperature x6, the tread wear amount x7, the uneven wear amount x8, the number of occurrences x9 of excessive steering angle, the number of brake operations x 10 , the number of occurrences x 11 of excessive depression amount, the coefficient t k , the coefficient h, and the calculation formula of formula (1). However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a calculation example. For example, the evaluation value S may be calculated using any one or more of the numerical values x k of the above-described items. Further, the evaluation value S may be the sum of the numerical values x k without using the coefficient t k and the coefficient h.

[0150] Also, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the example of determining the presence or absence of a precursor of the abnormality and the presence or absence of the abnormality using the evaluation value S calculated based on the state data has been described. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a processing example. For example, the control unit 11 may determine the presence or absence of a precursor of the abnormality using the evaluation value S calculated based on the state data other than the vibration value x5, and determine the presence or absence of the abnormality using the vibration value x5 different from this evaluation value S. In this case, the state data other than the vibration value x5 is an example of the first related information of the present disclosure, and the vibration value x5 is an example of the second related information of the present disclosure.

[0151] Further, the number of years elapsed since the manufacture of the tire 1 calculated from the date of manufacture of the tire 1 stored in the memory 67 may be included in the state data, and the evaluation value S may be calculated using the calculation formula of Equation (1). That is, a weight coefficient corresponding to the number of years elapsed may be set, and the evaluation value S may be calculated using the weight coefficient and Equation (1). Further, when there is an error between the moving distance calculated from the position information of the GPS receiver 64 and the moving distance calculated from the rotation speed of the tire 1, the larger the error, the smaller the outer diameter size of the tire 1 during running is than the specified size, and it is considered that the tire 1 may be damaged. Therefore, the error may be included in the state data, and the evaluation value S may be calculated using the calculation formula of Equation (1). That is, a weight coefficient corresponding to the error may be set, and the evaluation value S may be calculated using the weight coefficient and Equation (1).

[0152] In addition, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the configuration in which the data acquisition unit 111, the first determination processing unit 112, the second determination processing unit 113, the third determination processing unit 114, and the output processing unit 115 are realized by the control unit 11 of the abnormality determination device 10 is illustrated. However, all or part of these processing units may be realized by the control unit 61 of the control unit 60 of the vehicle 50, the processor in the in-vehicle terminal provided in the vehicle 50, or the control unit of the information terminals 71 and 72. That is, the processing of each step of the flowchart shown in FIG. 8 or FIG. 9 may be executed by any of the abnormality determination device 10, the vehicle 50, and the information terminals 71 and 72. Further, the conversion processing unit 611 realized by the control unit 61 of the control unit 60 may be realized by the control unit 11 of the abnormality determination device 10 or the control unit of the information terminals 71 and 72.

[0153] [Third Embodiment] Note that the calculation example for calculating the evaluation value S using the calculation formula of Equation (1) is merely an example. Hereinafter, as a third embodiment of the present disclosure, with reference to FIG. 10, another processing example of the abnormality determination processing by the first determination processing unit 112 will be described. Here, FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the first determination processing unit 112.

[0154] As shown in FIG. 10, the first determination processing unit 112 includes an evaluation value learning unit 210 that performs a process of obtaining the evaluation value S. The evaluation value learning unit 210 obtains an evaluation value of the tire 1 using a learning model 211 (an example of the learning model of the present disclosure) constructed based on teacher data prepared in advance. Here, the teacher data is information used to generate the learning model 211 and is stored in a storage area assigned to the database unit 30. The learning model 211 is a pre-trained model pre-learned by, for example, machine learning.

[0155] Generally, algorithms for the machine learning include supervised learning, unsupervised learning, reinforcement learning, etc. Further, in order to implement these methods, a method called "deep learning" that learns extraction of the feature amount itself is used. In the present embodiment, the learning model 211 pre-learned by supervised learning will be exemplified and described.

[0156] The learning model 211 is a pre-trained model generated in advance based on the teacher data stored in the database unit 30 and a predetermined algorithm. The algorithm is an algorithm that learns the relationship between the input and the output from the input teacher data.

[0157] The teacher data is a data set for learning the learning model 211. The teacher data is used to learn a prediction function included in the learning model 211. The teacher data includes input values such as the state data of a large number of sample tires and the evaluation value (output value) as an answer to these data. The teacher data includes a large number of combined data consisting of the input value and the output value.

[0158] When calculating the evaluation value using the learning model 211, as the state data, for example, history information of detection values detected by each sensor 51 to 58 during the running of the vehicle 50 may be used. Also, various history data such as history data of the running position measured by the GPS receiver 64, history data of the running speed and acceleration of the vehicle 50, etc. may be used as the state data.

[0159] By giving such teacher data to the learning model 211, the learning model 211 analyzes features, useful rules, knowledge expressions, judgment criteria, etc. in the teacher data, and learns a prediction function showing the relationship between the input value and the output value. If such a relationship can be learned, by applying the state data (input value) of the tire 1 with an unknown evaluation value (output value) to the prediction function, the evaluation value (output value) of the tire 1 can be predicted.

[0160] In the present embodiment, the first determination processing unit 112 inputs the state data into the learning model 211, and the learning model 211 outputs the evaluation value corresponding to the input state data.

[0161] Note that if the learning model 211 has been learned by the teacher data, the teacher data may not be stored in the database unit 30.

[0162] By calculating the evaluation value using such a learning model 211, the accuracy of the evaluation value is further improved, and as a result, the accuracy of the determination processing by the first determination processing unit 112 is further improved.

[0163] The embodiments of the present disclosure described above include each of the disclosure items (1) to (14) described below.

[0164] A tire abnormality determination system according to one aspect of the present disclosure (1) includes a related information acquisition unit that acquires deterioration-related information that can affect the deterioration of a non-pneumatic tire mounted on a vehicle, and based on the deterioration-related information, a first determination processing unit that determines at least one of the presence or absence of a precursor of an abnormality in the non-pneumatic tire and the presence or absence of the abnormality in the non-pneumatic tire, and an output processing unit that outputs a first determination result by the first determination processing unit to a predetermined output destination.

[0165] With this configuration, it becomes possible to determine the presence or absence of a precursor of an abnormality or the presence or absence of an abnormality occurring in the non-pneumatic tire, and it also becomes possible to notify the vehicle owner, driver, vehicle repair contractor, etc. of the determination content through a predetermined output terminal.

[0166] In the tire abnormality determination system according to the present disclosure (2), when a predetermined evaluation value obtained based on the deterioration-related information is equal to or greater than a predetermined first reference value and less than a second reference value, the first determination processing unit determines that a precursor of the abnormality has occurred in the non-pneumatic tire, and when the evaluation value is equal to or greater than the second reference value, the first determination processing unit determines that the abnormality has occurred in the non-pneumatic tire.

[0167] In the tire abnormality determination system according to the present disclosure (3), the first determination processing unit obtains the evaluation value using a learning model that inputs the deterioration-related information and outputs the evaluation value.

[0168] In the tire abnormality determination system according to any one of the present disclosures (1) to (3), when it is determined by the first determination processing unit that there is a precursor of the abnormality or the abnormality, a second determination processing unit that determines at least one or a plurality of the remaining travelable time until the non-pneumatic tire becomes in a non-travelable state due to the abnormality, the remaining travelable distance until the non-pneumatic tire becomes in the non-travelable state, and the limited speed at which the non-pneumatic tire can travel safely is further provided. The output processing unit further outputs a second determination result by the second determination processing unit.

[0169] In the tire abnormality determination system of the present disclosure (4), when the output processing unit determines that there is a sign of the abnormality in the non-pneumatic tire by the first determination processing unit, the output processing unit outputs at least one or more of the travelable time, the travelable distance, and the speed limit. Further, when the output processing unit determines that there is the abnormality in the non-pneumatic tire by the first determination processing unit, the output processing unit outputs a numerical value obtained by multiplying at least one or more of the travelable time, the travelable distance, and the speed limit by a predetermined reduction rate.

[0170] The present disclosure (6) is a tire abnormality determination system according to the present disclosure (4) or (5), further comprising a vehicle position information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle position information indicating the position of the vehicle, and based on the second determination result by the second determination processing unit and the vehicle position information, determines whether there is a business establishment within the business establishment position data including the business establishment position information indicating the position of a business establishment where the abnormality of the non-pneumatic tire can be repaired or the position of a business establishment where the non-pneumatic tire can be replaced that can be reached by the vehicle equipped with the non-pneumatic tire in which the sign or the abnormality has been determined. The output processing unit further outputs a third determination result by the third determination processing unit.

[0171] In the tire abnormality determination system according to any one of the present disclosures (1) to (6), the non-pneumatic tire includes an annular tread portion having a ground contact surface, a hub portion disposed radially inward of the tread portion, and a spoke portion including one or more elastically deformable spokes that connect the tread portion and the hub portion. The first determination processing unit determines the presence or absence of a sign of the abnormality or the presence or absence of the abnormality in any one or more of the tread portion, the hub portion, and the spoke portion.

[0172] In the tire abnormality determination system according to any one of the present disclosures (1) to (7), the output processing unit outputs to either one or both of a display device mounted on the vehicle equipped with the non-pneumatic tire determined to have the sign or the abnormality of the abnormality by the first determination processing unit, and a terminal device associated with the driver or owner of the vehicle.

[0173] In the tire abnormality determination system according to the present disclosure (9) of the present disclosure (6), the output processing unit outputs to a terminal device associated with the business office.

[0174] In the tire abnormality determination system according to any one of the present disclosures (1) to (9), the deterioration-related information includes at least one or a plurality of a vibration value of the tire, an acceleration applied to the tire, a rotation speed of the tire, a temperature of the tread portion of the tire, a wear amount of the tread portion of the tire, a travel distance of the vehicle, a travel time of the vehicle, a travel speed of the vehicle, an acceleration of the vehicle, a travel route of the vehicle, a steering angle of the vehicle, a number of braking times in the vehicle, and an operation amount of the brake in the vehicle when the non-pneumatic tire is mounted on the vehicle and used.

[0175] In the tire abnormality determination system according to any one of the present disclosures (1) to (10), when the deterioration-related information includes first related information including one or a plurality of information and second related information including one or a plurality of information different from the first related information, the first determination processing unit determines the presence or absence of the sign of the abnormality based on the first related information, and determines the presence or absence of the abnormality based on the second related information.

[0176] A tire abnormality determination device according to another aspect of the present disclosure (12) includes a related information acquisition unit that acquires deterioration-related information that can affect the deterioration of a non-pneumatic tire mounted on a vehicle, a first determination processing unit that determines at least one of the presence or absence of a sign of an abnormality in the non-pneumatic tire and the presence or absence of the abnormality in the non-pneumatic tire based on the deterioration-related information, and an output processing unit that outputs a first determination result by the first determination processing unit to a predetermined output destination.

[0177] The tire abnormality determination method according to another aspect of the present disclosure (13) includes a related information acquisition step of acquiring deterioration-related information that can affect the deterioration of a non-pneumatic tire mounted on a vehicle, and based on the deterioration-related information, at least one of the presence or absence of a precursor of an abnormality in the non-pneumatic tire and the presence or absence of the abnormality in the non-pneumatic tire is determined in a first determination step, and an output step of outputting a first determination result by the first determination step, and each step is a method executed by one or more processors.

[0178] The program according to another aspect of the present disclosure (14) includes a related information acquisition step of acquiring deterioration-related information that can affect the deterioration of a non-pneumatic tire mounted on a vehicle, and based on the deterioration-related information, at least one of the presence or absence of a precursor of an abnormality in the non-pneumatic tire and the presence or absence of the abnormality in the non-pneumatic tire is determined in a first determination step, and an output step of outputting a first determination result by the first determination step, and is a program for causing one or more processors to execute. The present disclosure may be a computer-readable recording medium that non-temporarily records the program.

Explanation of Signs

[0179] 1: Tire 2: Tread ring 2A: Tread rubber 2B: Reinforcing cord layer 2S: Tread surface 3: Hub part 4: Spoke part 4A: Spoke plate 10: Abnormality determination device 11: Control unit 12: Storage unit 13: Communication unit 14: Display unit 15: Operation unit 30: Database unit 31: State data storage unit 32: Business Office Data Storage Unit 50: Vehicle 51: Wheel Speed Sensor 52: Lateral Acceleration Sensor 53: Vibration Sensor 54: Temperature Sensor 55: Thickness Sensor 56: Steering Angle Sensor 57: Brake Sensor 58: Tread Surface Sensor 59: Operation Switch 60: Control Unit 61: Control Section 62: Memory Section 63: Communication Section 64: GPS Receiver 65: Output Section 66: Input Section 67: Memory 71: Information Terminal 72: Information Terminal 100: Tire Abnormality Judgment System 111: Data Acquisition Section 112: First Judgment Processing Section 113: Second Judgment Processing Section 114: Third Judgment Processing Section 115: Output Processing Section 210: Evaluation Value Learning Section 211: Learning Model 501: Instrument Unit 502: Display Device 611: Conversion Processing Section 612: Display Processing Section

Claims

1. A related information acquisition unit that acquires deterioration-related information that can affect the deterioration of a non-pneumatic tire mounted on a vehicle; A first determination processing unit that determines at least one of the presence or absence of a precursor of an abnormality and the presence or absence of the abnormality in the non-pneumatic tire based on the deterioration-related information; When it is determined by the first determination processing unit that there is a precursor or the abnormality of the abnormality, the travelable time until the non-pneumatic tire becomes in a non-travelable state due to the abnormality, the travelable distance until the non-pneumatic tire becomes in the non-travelable state, and A tire abnormality determination system comprising a second determination processing unit that determines at least one or a plurality of restricted speeds at which the non-pneumatic tire can travel safely.

2. The first determination processing unit: When a predetermined evaluation value obtained based on the deterioration-related information is equal to or greater than a predetermined first reference value and less than a second reference value, it is determined that a precursor of the abnormality has occurred in the non-pneumatic tire; The tire abnormality determination system according to claim 1, wherein when the evaluation value is equal to or greater than the second reference value, it is determined that the abnormality has occurred in the non-pneumatic tire.

3. The first determination processing unit: The tire abnormality determination system according to claim 2, wherein the evaluation value is obtained using a learning model that inputs the deterioration-related information and outputs the evaluation value.

4. The tire abnormality determination system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an output processing unit that outputs a first determination result by the first determination processing unit and a second determination result by the second determination processing unit to a predetermined output destination.

5. The output processing unit: When it is determined by the first determination processing unit that there is a precursor of the abnormality in the non-pneumatic tire, at least one or a plurality of the travelable time, the travelable distance, and the restricted speed are output; The tire abnormality determination system according to claim 4, wherein when it is determined by the first determination processing unit that there is an abnormality in the non-pneumatic tire, a numerical value obtained by multiplying at least one or a plurality of the travelable time, the travelable distance, and the restricted speed by a predetermined reduction rate is output.

6. A vehicle position information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle position information indicating the position of the vehicle; Based on the second determination result by the second determination processing unit and the vehicle position information, it is determined whether there is a business establishment within the business establishment position data including the business establishment position information indicating the position of the business establishment where the non-pneumatic tire can be repaired or the position of the business establishment where the non-pneumatic tire can be replaced that can be reached by the vehicle equipped with the non-pneumatic tire for which the precursor of the abnormality or the abnormality has been determined, and further includes a third determination processing unit, The output processing unit further outputs the third determination result by the third determination processing unit. The tire abnormality determination system according to claim 4 or 5.

7. The non-pneumatic tire has an annular tread portion having a ground contact surface, a hub portion disposed inside the tread portion in the radial direction, and a spoke portion composed of one or a plurality of elastically deformable spokes connecting the tread portion and the hub portion. The first determination processing unit determines the presence or absence of a precursor of the abnormality or the presence or absence of the abnormality in any one or more of the tread portion, the hub portion, and the spoke portion. The tire abnormality determination system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The output processing unit outputs to any one or both of a display device mounted on the vehicle equipped with the non-pneumatic tire for which the precursor of the abnormality or the abnormality has been determined by the first determination processing unit and a terminal device associated with the driver or owner of the vehicle. The tire abnormality determination system according to any one of claims 4 to 6.

9. The output processing unit outputs to a terminal device associated with the business establishment. The tire abnormality determination system according to claim 6.

10. The deterioration-related information is at least one or a plurality of the vibration value of the tire, the acceleration applied to the tire, the rotation speed of the tire, the temperature of the tread portion of the tire, the wear amount of the tread portion of the tire, the travel distance of the vehicle, the travel time of the vehicle, the travel speed of the vehicle, the acceleration of the vehicle, the travel route of the vehicle, the steering angle of the vehicle, the number of braking operations in the vehicle, and the braking operation amount in the vehicle when the non-pneumatic tire is mounted on the vehicle and used. The tire abnormality determination system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. When the deterioration-related information has first related information including one or a plurality of information and second related information including one or a plurality of information different from the first related information, The first determination processing unit determines the presence or absence of a precursor of the abnormality based on the first related information, and determines the presence or absence of the abnormality based on the second related information. The tire abnormality determination system according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A related information acquisition unit that acquires deterioration-related information that can affect the deterioration of a non-pneumatic tire mounted on a vehicle; A first determination processing unit that determines at least one of the presence or absence of a precursor of an abnormality in the non-pneumatic tire and the presence or absence of the abnormality in the non-pneumatic tire based on the deterioration-related information; When it is determined by the first determination processing unit that there is a precursor or the abnormality of the abnormality, the travelable time until the non-pneumatic tire becomes in a non-travelable state where it cannot travel due to the abnormality, the travelable distance until the non-pneumatic tire becomes in the non-travelable state, and A tire abnormality determination device comprising a second determination processing unit that determines at least one or a plurality of restricted speeds at which the non-pneumatic tire can travel safely.

13. A related information acquisition step of acquiring deterioration-related information that can affect the deterioration of a non-pneumatic tire mounted on a vehicle; A first determination step of determining at least one of the presence or absence of a precursor of an abnormality in the non-pneumatic tire and the presence or absence of the abnormality in the non-pneumatic tire based on the deterioration-related information; A tire abnormality determination method executed by one or more processors, the method including: a second determination step of determining at least one or a plurality of travelable times until the non-pneumatic tire becomes in a non-travelable state where it cannot travel due to the abnormality, a travelable distance until the non-pneumatic tire becomes in the non-travelable state, and a restricted speed at which the non-pneumatic tire can travel safely when it is determined in the first determination step that there is a precursor or the abnormality of the abnormality.

14. A related information acquisition step of acquiring deterioration-related information that can affect the deterioration of a non-pneumatic tire mounted on a vehicle; A first determination step of determining at least one of the presence or absence of a precursor of an abnormality in the non-pneumatic tire and the presence or absence of the abnormality in the non-pneumatic tire based on the deterioration-related information; When it is determined in the first determination step that there is a sign or an abnormality of the abnormality, the travelable time until the non-pneumatic tire becomes in a non-travelable state where it cannot travel due to the abnormality, the travelable distance until the non-pneumatic tire becomes in the non-travelable state, and a program for causing one or a plurality of processors to execute a second determination step of determining at least one or a plurality of restricted speeds at which the non-pneumatic tire can travel safely.

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