Tire condition monitoring system, tire condition monitoring method, and tire condition monitoring program

Abstract

To provide a tire condition monitoring system which can acquire tire data such as internal pressure more surely while using a low electric power wide area network, and a tire condition monitoring method and a tire condition monitoring program.SOLUTION: A tire condition monitoring system 100 directly acquires tire data indicating the condition of a tire from respective sensor units 40 via radio communication. The tire condition monitoring system 100 determines if operation of the sensor units 40 is abnormal when being unable to acquire tire data from a part of the plurality of sensor units 40 attached on a tire of a vehicle over a prescribed time. The tire condition monitoring system 100 notifies a prescribed destination of identification information of the vehicle and information indicating abnormal operation of the sensor units 40 when it is determined that the operation of the sensor units 40 is abnormal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tire condition monitoring system, a tire condition monitoring method, and a tire condition monitoring program for monitoring the condition of tires mounted on a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) that monitor the internal pressure of pneumatic tires (hereinafter simply referred to as tires) mounted on a vehicle have been widely used (Patent Document 1).

[0003] Generally, such TPMS uses short-range wireless communication between the vehicle and the sensor installed inside the tire attached to the rim wheel, and uses mobile communication methods such as 4G between the vehicle and a server computer on the communication network.

[0004] Incidentally, with the recent spread of the Internet of Things (IoT), wireless communication networks optimized for transferring data measured by sensors, so-called low-power wide-area networks (LPWA, LPWAN), have become known (Patent Document 2).

[0005] Such a low-power wide area network can realize wireless communication over relatively long distances with low power consumption. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-6266 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2019 / 031571 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Considering the characteristics of low-power wide-area networks as described above, it is conceivable that TPMS could also use low-power wide-area networks, as sensors are battery-powered and tire data such as internal pressure has a small volume and changes little.

[0008] Therefore, particularly for fleets such as trucks, a configuration may be considered in which tire data transmitted from sensors in the tires is transferred directly to a server computer or the like via a low-power wide area network.

[0009] However, the geographical area covered by the low-power wide-area network is limited, and tire data may not be available depending on the vehicle's location. Furthermore, tire data changes little and is transmitted infrequently, as described above. Therefore, depending on the vehicle's location and the timing of tire data transmission, tire data may not be available for long periods of time.

[0010] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and aims to provide a tire condition monitoring system, a tire condition monitoring method, and a tire condition monitoring program that can more reliably acquire tire data such as internal pressure while using a low-power wide area network. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] One aspect of the present invention is a tire condition monitoring system (tire condition monitoring system 100) that monitors the condition of multiple tires (tires 30) mounted on a vehicle (vehicle 20) at a location separated from the vehicle using multiple sensors (sensor units 40) each associated with the multiple tires, and includes a tire data acquisition unit (tire data acquisition unit 110) that directly acquires tire data indicating the condition of the tire from each of the multiple sensors via wireless communication, a determination unit (sensor state determination unit 130) that determines that the operation of the sensor is abnormal if the tire data cannot be acquired from some of the multiple sensors for a predetermined period of time, and a notification unit (notification unit 150) that, if it is determined that the operation of the sensor is abnormal, notifies a predetermined destination of the vehicle's identification information and information indicating the abnormal operation of the sensor.

[0012] One aspect of the present invention is a tire condition monitoring method for monitoring the condition of multiple tires mounted on a vehicle at a location away from the vehicle using multiple sensors associated with each of the tires, the method including the steps of: directly acquiring tire data indicating the condition of the tire from each of the multiple sensors via wireless communication; determining that operation of the sensor is abnormal if the tire data cannot be acquired from some of the multiple sensors for a predetermined period of time; and, if operation of the sensor is determined to be abnormal, notifying a predetermined destination of identification information of the vehicle and information indicating abnormal operation of the sensor.

[0013] One aspect of the present invention is a tire condition monitoring program that monitors the condition of multiple tires mounted on a vehicle at a location away from the vehicle using multiple sensors associated with each of the tires, and causes a computer to execute a tire data acquisition process that directly acquires tire data indicating the condition of the tire from each of the multiple sensors via wireless communication, a determination process that determines that the sensor is operating abnormally if the tire data cannot be acquired from some of the multiple sensors for a predetermined period of time, and a notification process that notifies a predetermined destination of the vehicle's identification information and information indicating the sensor's abnormal operation if it is determined that the sensor is operating abnormally. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the tire condition monitoring system, tire condition monitoring method, and tire condition monitoring program described above, tire data such as internal pressure can be obtained more reliably using a low-power wide area network. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of a fixed-point internal pressure monitoring system 10. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the vehicle 20. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the sensor unit 40. As shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the tire condition monitoring system 100. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the overall communication sequence regarding the state monitoring of the tire 30 by the fixed-point internal pressure monitoring system 10. As shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the flow of the tire condition monitoring system 100's operation for determining a malfunction in the tire 30. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the flow of the operation of the tire condition monitoring system 100 to determine the state of the vehicle 20. [Figure 8]FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the flow of the operation of the tire condition monitoring system 100 to determine whether a sensor is unregistered. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the sensor / vehicle database 120. As shown in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the stored tire data. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a regular distribution report generated by the tire condition monitoring system 100. As shown in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of an alert email generated by the tire condition monitoring system 100. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or similar reference numerals are used to designate the same functions or configurations, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0017] (1) Overall schematic configuration of the fixed-point tire pressure monitoring system including the tire condition monitoring system Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of a fixed-point internal pressure monitoring system 10 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the fixed-point internal pressure monitoring system 10 provides monitoring services for a fleet including multiple vehicles 20, such as trucks. The fixed-point internal pressure monitoring system 10 basically monitors the status of each vehicle 20 at a fixed point, such as a base (yard) of a user 80 where the multiple vehicles 20 are parked.

[0018] In this embodiment, the fixed-point internal pressure monitoring system 10 includes a tire condition monitoring system 100 that monitors the condition of the vehicle 20, specifically, the condition of the tire 30 (not shown in Figure 1, see Figure 2) mounted on the vehicle 20.

[0019] Specifically, the tire condition monitoring system 100 monitors the condition of multiple tires 30 mounted on a vehicle 20 using multiple sensors associated with each of the multiple tires 30 at a location away from the vehicle 20, for example, within the yard of a user 80.

[0020] In this embodiment, the vehicle 20 is a vehicle such as a truck used for business purposes by a company or the like. Therefore, the vehicle 20 may be a vehicle other than a truck, such as a bus or a taxi. A plurality of vehicles 20 are operated by a user 80 such as a company. However, the user 80 does not necessarily have to be a company (business entity), and may be a non-profit organization or an individual.

[0021] The tire condition monitoring system 100 is connected to a communication network 70. The communication network 70 is a communication network that uses a wired or wireless communication method, and may include the Internet.

[0022] The communication network 70 also includes a wireless access network known as a low power wide area network (LPWA or LPWAN, hereinafter abbreviated as LPWA where appropriate).

[0023] LPWA is a wireless access method that has a coverage that cannot be met by short-range wireless methods (up to several tens of meters) such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), and is characterized by low power consumption, low bit rate, and wide coverage.

[0024] Examples of services using LPWA include Sigfox (registered trademark), LoRa (registered trademark), and Wi-Fi HaLow. In this embodiment, the tire condition monitoring system 100 is premised on the use of services using LPWA. However, LPWA may be called by another name, and may be any wireless communication method that has wider coverage than short-range wireless methods such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) and achieves lower power consumption than mobile communication methods such as 4G / LTE (Long Term Evolution).

[0025] Base station 60 is a wireless base station conforming to LPWA, and is a component of a low-power wide area network included in communication network 70. In order to ensure a communication range of the low-power wide area network, multiple base stations 60 are deployed in a geographically dispersed manner.

[0026] However, in general, the coverage of low-power wide-area networks is mainly targeted at urban areas where communication demand is high, and is narrower than that of mobile communication networks such as 4G / LTE.

[0027] In addition, the tire condition monitoring system 100 can notify at least one of the user 80 and the maintenance company 90 of information indicating the condition of the tire 30 (see Figure 2) mounted on the vehicle 20 being monitored, specifically, depending on the condition of the tire 30.

[0028] The maintenance company 90 is a company that can provide maintenance (repair, replacement, etc.) of the tire 30. The method of notifying the user 80 and the maintenance company 90 of the information is not particularly limited, but in consideration of ease of implementation and convenience, notification by email is preferable.

[0029] (2) Vehicle configuration 2 is a schematic plan view of the vehicle 20. As described above, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the vehicle 20 is a truck.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 2, the vehicle 20 has a front axle 21 and a rear axle 22. The front axle 21 is a steering axle and is located at the front of the vehicle 20. The rear axle 22 is a drive axle and is located at the rear of the vehicle 20, that is, on the luggage compartment (bed) side. The rear axle 22 is a so-called double tire axle, and two tires 30 are mounted on each of the left and right sides.

[0031] A vehicle 20 having such an axle configuration is fitted with a total of six tires 30. In this embodiment, for convenience, the left front wheel and the right front wheel are denoted as "1-L1" and "1-R1", respectively.

[0032] For convenience, the left rear wheel (outside) and the left rear wheel (inside) are written as "2-L1" and "2-L2", respectively, and the right rear wheel (outside) and the right rear wheel (inside) are written as "2-R1" and "2-R2", respectively.

[0033] A sensor unit 40 is attached to each tire 30. Specifically, the sensor unit 40 is attached to the inner surface of a rim wheel (not shown) to which the tire 30 is mounted. The attachment position of the sensor unit 40 does not necessarily have to be the inner surface (well portion) of the rim wheel, but may be the inner surface of the tire 30 or the base side of the air valve of the rim wheel.

[0034] The sensor unit 40 senses the condition of the tire 30. Specifically, the sensor unit 40 measures the air pressure (internal pressure) and temperature of the tire 30 mounted on the rim wheel. Note that the sensor unit 40 may also be able to measure, for example, distortion in addition to the internal pressure and temperature.

[0035] Furthermore, the sensor unit 40 has a wireless communication function, specifically, a wireless communication function conforming to LPWA, and can perform wireless communication with the base station 60.

[0036] (3) Functional block configuration of the sensor unit and tire condition monitoring system Next, the functional block configuration of the sensor unit 40 and tire condition monitoring system 100 described above will be described.

[0037] (3.1) Sensor unit 40 3 is a functional block diagram of the sensor unit 40. As shown in FIG. 3, the sensor unit 40 includes a temperature sensor 41, a pressure sensor 43, a sensor ID setting unit 45, a wireless communication unit 47, and a battery 49.

[0038] The temperature sensor 41 measures the temperature inside the air chamber of the tire 30 mounted on the rim wheel. As the temperature sensor 41, for example, a semiconductor type can be used.

[0039] The pressure sensor 43 measures the pressure (internal pressure) in the air chamber of the tire 30. As the pressure sensor 43, for example, a capacitance type can be used.

[0040] The acceleration sensor 44 detects the acceleration of the tire 30 in a predetermined direction. In this embodiment, the acceleration sensor 44 can detect the acceleration in the tire radial direction of the tire 30, specifically, the centrifugal acceleration (which may also be referred to as centrifugal force). The acceleration sensor 44 may also detect acceleration in the tire width direction, etc., in addition to the tire radial direction. A general-purpose acceleration sensor, such as a triaxial acceleration sensor, may be used as the acceleration sensor 44.

[0041] The sensor ID setting unit 45 sets a sensor ID (sensor identification information) that identifies the sensor unit 40. Specifically, the sensor ID setting unit 45 stores the identification information of the sensor unit 40 and provides the stored identification information to the wireless communication unit 47. In addition, more information (such as tire type) may be included. The sensor identification information is multiplexed onto the wireless signal transmitted from the wireless communication unit 47.

[0042] The wireless communication unit 47 has a wireless communication function conforming to LPWA. Specifically, the wireless communication unit 47 transmits to the base station 60 a wireless signal (radio wave) in which data indicating the measured temperature output from the temperature sensor 41 and data indicating the measured pressure (internal pressure) output from the pressure sensor 43 are multiplexed.

[0043] It should be noted that the temperature sensor 41 and the pressure sensor 43 may not measure the temperature and the internal pressure during the period when the sensor unit 40 is detecting the acceleration, that is, during the period when the tire 30 is rotating.

[0044] Battery 49 supplies the necessary power to each functional block that constitutes sensor unit 40. Specifically, the type of battery 49 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that it be made of a primary battery or the like that can continuously drive sensor unit 40 for a long period of time (for example, one year or more).

[0045] (3.2) Tire Condition Monitoring System 100 4 is a functional block diagram of the tire condition monitoring system 100. As shown in FIG. 4, the tire condition monitoring system 100 includes a tire data acquisition unit 110, a sensor / vehicle database 120, a sensor condition determination unit 130, a vehicle condition determination unit 140, and a notification unit 150.

[0046] These functional blocks are realized by executing a computer program (software) on hardware such as a server computer.

[0047] Specifically, the tire condition monitoring system 100 includes, as hardware elements, a processor, a memory, an input device, a display, and an external interface. The computer program (software) may be provided via the communication network 70, or may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as an optical disk, a hard disk drive, or a flash memory.

[0048] The tire data acquiring unit 110 acquires tire data indicating the state of the tire 30 from the sensor unit 40 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). Specifically, the tire data acquiring unit 110 directly acquires tire data via wireless communication from each of a plurality of sensors, such as a temperature sensor 41 and a pressure sensor 43, that are associated with a plurality of tires 30, i.e., that are attached to the tire 30 (specifically, a rim wheel, the same applies hereinafter).

[0049] The tire data includes at least internal pressure data measured by the pressure sensor 43. The tire data may also include temperature data measured by the temperature sensor 41. Furthermore, if the sensor unit 40 includes another sensor (for example, an acceleration sensor), the tire data may include data measured by that sensor.

[0050] The tire data acquisition unit 110 acquires tire data from the sensor unit 40 via the base station 60 and the communication network 70 .

[0051] In this embodiment, the tire data acquiring unit 110 acquires tire data via wireless communication using a low-power wide area network (LPWA). That is, the tire data acquiring unit 110 acquires tire data directly from the sensor unit 40 via wireless communication using LPWA, rather than via the vehicle 20 using a short-range wireless method from the sensor unit 40.

[0052] As mentioned above, LPWA coverage is mainly targeted at urban areas where communication demand is high, so a moving vehicle 20 is not always within the LPWA coverage. Also, considering the characteristics of tire data (small amount of change and low transmission frequency), the frequency of acquiring tire data does not need to be very high.

[0053] For example, the frequency of acquiring tire data can be once every 4 to 6 hours. The frequency of acquiring tire data may be based on the interval at which the sensor unit 40 acquires internal pressure data or the like (or a multiple of that interval), or may be determined by the tire condition monitoring system 100.

[0054] The tire data acquiring unit 110 acquires, from the plurality of sensors, specifically, from each of the sensor units 40, sensor identification information for identifying each of the plurality of sensor units 40. Specifically, the tire data acquiring unit 110 acquires sensor identification information (sensor ID) multiplexed in the tire data transmitted from the sensor unit 40.

[0055] The sensor / vehicle database 120 is a database related to the vehicle 20 and the sensor unit 40. Specifically, the sensor / vehicle database 120 manages each wheel position on the vehicle 20, the sensor ID of the sensor unit 40 attached to the tire 30 attached to each wheel position, and the registration number of the vehicle 20 in association with each other.

[0056] 9 shows an example of the configuration of the sensor / vehicle database 120. Typically, the registration number of the vehicle 20 is a vehicle registration number plate, but any number that can uniquely identify the vehicle 20 may be assigned and managed by the user 80, or may be a chassis number assigned by the manufacturer of the vehicle 20.

[0057] Furthermore, the sensor / vehicle database 120 can store the tire data acquired by the tire data acquisition unit 110 in association with the sensor ID.

[0058] Fig. 10 shows an example of the configuration of stored tire data. In the example configuration shown in Fig. 10, tire data (internal pressure, temperature), acquisition time, and whether or not an alert has been issued are associated with each sensor ID. Specific operations of the tire condition monitoring system 100 using the sensor / vehicle database 120 will be described later.

[0059] The sensor state determination unit 130 determines the state of the sensors attached to the tires 30. Specifically, when tire data cannot be acquired for a predetermined period of time from some of the sensors (sensor units 40) attached to the tires 30 mounted on the same vehicle 20, the sensor state determination unit 130 determines that the operation of the sensor is abnormal. In this embodiment, the sensor state determination unit 130 constitutes a determination unit that determines that the operation of the sensor is abnormal.

[0060] Note that "the operation of the sensor is abnormal" may include determining that the sensor is not operating or determining that the sensor is broken.

[0061] Furthermore, "the operation of the sensor is abnormal" may include improper installation of the sensor on the tire 30 (rim wheel).

[0062] Specifically, if the sensor state determination unit 130 is unable to acquire tire data from some of the six sensor units 40 corresponding to each wheel position (1-L1, 1-R1, 2-L1, 2-L2, 2-R1, 2-R2) of the vehicle 20 for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 24 hours), it determines that the some sensor units 40 are not operating, i.e., have failed.

[0063] In addition, if the tire data acquisition unit 110 is unable to acquire tire data from some of the sensor units 40 a predetermined number of times in succession at the timing of tire data acquisition, the sensor state determination unit 130 may determine that the operation of those sensor units 40 is abnormal.

[0064] Furthermore, the number of sensor units 40 may be one or more. However, in the case of the vehicle 20, a total of six sensor units 40 are attached, so if tire data cannot be acquired simultaneously from, for example, three or more sensor units 40, it is possible that this is not due to a malfunction of a sensor unit 40 but may be due to other causes (such as a deterioration in the communication environment), and therefore it is not necessary to determine that the sensor unit 40 is operating abnormally.

[0065] Furthermore, if the sensor state determination unit 130 determines that the operation of a certain sensor (specifically, the sensor unit 40) is abnormal and then acquires tire data from the sensor again, it can determine that the operation of the sensor is normal. Note that the sensor state determination unit 130 may determine that the operation of the sensor is normal (i.e., that the sensor has recovered from a failure) if it is able to acquire tire data from the sensor a predetermined number of times in succession (or even once). Furthermore, if it is determined that the operation of the sensor is normal, an alert display on the periodic distribution report, which will be described later, may be erased.

[0066] The vehicle state determination unit 140 utilizes the characteristics of the sensor unit 40 and the low-power wide area network to determine the state of the vehicle 20. Specifically, the vehicle state determination unit 140 estimates the geographical location of the vehicle 20, for example, in which geographical range the vehicle 20 is located (or in which geographical range the vehicle is not located).

[0067] More specifically, if tire data cannot be acquired for a predetermined period of time from all of the multiple sensors (sensor units 40) corresponding to the wheel positions (1-L1, 1-R1, 2-L1, 2-L2, 2-R1, 2-R2) of the same vehicle 20, the vehicle state determination unit 140 determines that the vehicle 20 is not within a predetermined geographical range, i.e., is not within the LPWA coverage. In this embodiment, the vehicle state determination unit 140 constitutes a determination unit that determines that the vehicle is not within the predetermined geographical range. Note that the vehicle state determination unit 140 may suggest that the vehicle may not be within the LPWA coverage, rather than making a determination.

[0068] Considering that LPWA coverage is mainly in urban areas, the vehicle 20 may be traveling in rural areas and may not be within the LPWA coverage area depending on the traveling location. However, considering that the tire data acquisition unit 110 acquires tire data once every 4 to 6 hours as described above, it is assumed that there will be at least one time within a predetermined time period (e.g., 24 hours) when the vehicle 20 is within the LPWA coverage area, and tire data can be acquired via LPWA.

[0069] On the other hand, if tire data cannot be acquired from all of the sensor units 40 attached to all of the tires 30 mounted on the vehicle 20 for a predetermined time or longer, it is assumed that there is a problem with the vehicle 20, specifically, that the vehicle has stopped running due to a malfunction or the like, or that the vehicle 20 has been lost (including stolen). The vehicle state determination unit 140 can determine such a state of the vehicle 20, that is, whether the vehicle is running normally or not.

[0070] The notification unit 150 notifies a predetermined destination of the status of the vehicle 20 (including the tire 30) or the sensor. Specifically, the notification unit 150 can notify a predefined destination, for example, the user 80 or the maintenance company 90, of the status of the vehicle 20 or the sensor.

[0071] When the sensor state determination unit 130 determines that the operation of the sensor unit 40 is abnormal, the notification unit 150 notifies a predetermined destination of the identification information of the vehicle 20 associated with the sensor unit 40 (that is, the vehicle 20 on which the tire 30 to which the sensor unit 40 is attached is mounted) and information indicating the abnormal operation of the sensor unit 40.

[0072] As described above, the predetermined destination includes the user 80 who operates the vehicle 20 and the maintenance company 90 that provides maintenance services for the tire 30. However, the predetermined destination is not limited to these. For example, the predetermined destination may include a communication terminal such as a smartphone used by the driver of the vehicle 20, or an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) installed in the vehicle 20.

[0073] As mentioned above, a typical notification method is email, but a pull or push format using an application program that can be installed on smartphones and tablet devices, or a web user interface (WUI) can also be applied.

[0074] When the sensor state determination section 130 determines that the sensor unit 40 is operating normally, the notification section 150 can notify a predetermined destination of information indicating that the sensor unit 40 is operating normally.

[0075] In other words, if the sensor state determination unit 130 determines that the operation of some of the sensor units 40 attached to the same vehicle 20 is abnormal, and then determines that the operation of those sensor units 40 is normal, the notification unit 150 can notify a specified destination that those some of the sensor units 40 have recovered from the failure.

[0076] If the vehicle state determination unit 140 determines that the vehicle 20 is not present within a predetermined geographical range, the notification unit 150 can also notify a predetermined destination of the identification information of the vehicle 20 and information indicating that the vehicle 20 is not present within the predetermined geographical range, i.e., within the coverage of the LPWA.

[0077] Furthermore, when unregistered sensor identification information is acquired by the tire data acquisition unit 110, the notification unit 150 may notify a predetermined destination of the existence of the unregistered sensor (sensor unit 40). In this case, the notification unit 150 may notify, in addition to the existence of the unregistered sensor, the identification information of the vehicle 20 on which the unregistered sensor is presumed to be mounted.

[0078] The vehicle 20 equipped with the unregistered sensor unit 40 may be estimated, for example, as the vehicle 20 that is associated by the sensor-vehicle database 120 with a registered sensor unit 40 acquired at the same time as the unregistered sensor unit 40.

[0079] (4) Operation of the fixed-point internal pressure monitoring system Next, we will explain the operation of the fixed-point tire pressure monitoring system 10, which includes the above-mentioned tire condition monitoring system 100. Specifically, we will explain the operations of acquiring tire data using the tire condition monitoring system 100, determining a malfunction of the sensor unit 40, determining the state (position) of the vehicle 20, and determining whether a sensor is unregistered.

[0080] (4.1) Overall communication sequence 5 shows an overall communication sequence for monitoring the state of a tire 30 by the fixed-point tire pressure monitoring system 10. Note that, although the following description will be given using an example in which tire pressure is the target tire data, other tire data such as temperature may also be the target tire data, as described above.

[0081] 5, the sensor unit 40 transmits tire data (internal pressure) of the tire 30 measured by the pressure sensor 43 (see FIG. 3) to the tire condition monitoring system 100 via the base station 60 (S10, S20). Specifically, the base station 60 includes the tire data in a packet or the like in a format (such as Internet Protocol (IP)) that can be transferred via the communication network 70, and transfers the data to the tire condition monitoring system 100.

[0082] Specifically, the sensor unit 40 can transmit the tire data based on a predetermined time or time interval. More specifically, the sensor unit 40 can transmit the tire data based on the acceleration data detected by the acceleration sensor 44 when a predetermined time or time interval has passed and no acceleration has been detected for one minute or more (i.e., when the vehicle 20 has been stopped for one minute or more).

[0083] The sensor unit 40 may transmit the tire data at the timing when the sensor unit 40 becomes able to communicate wirelessly with the base station 60. Alternatively, the tire condition monitoring system 100 may request the sensor unit 40 to transmit the tire data at a predetermined timing.

[0084] In reality, tire data is transmitted from each of the sensor units 40 attached to a plurality of (six) tires 30 mounted on the same vehicle 20.

[0085] The tire condition monitoring system 100 acquires the tire data received via the base station 60, and stores the acquired tire data in association with the sensor ID and the like (S30).

[0086] The tire condition monitoring system 100 executes an abnormality determination for the tire 30 to which the sensor unit 40 is attached based on the acquired tire data (internal pressure) value (S40). The abnormality determination operation for the tire 30 will be described in more detail below.

[0087] The tire condition monitoring system 100 also determines the condition of the vehicle 20 based on the acquired tire data (internal pressure) values ​​(S50). Specifically, the tire condition monitoring system 100 estimates the geographical position of the vehicle 20 by utilizing the characteristics of the sensor unit 40 and the low-power wide area network. The operation of determining the condition of the vehicle 20 will be described in more detail below.

[0088] If the tire condition monitoring system 100 determines that there is an abnormality in the tire 30, or if it determines that the vehicle 20 is not within a predetermined geographical range, that is, not within the LPWA coverage, it sends an alert email to the user 80, the maintenance company 90, or both (S60). Note that in addition to or instead of the alert email, the alert may be notified in a regularly distributed report.

[0089] 5, if the internal pressure drop is slight, it is not necessarily necessary to send an alert email to the maintenance company 90. On the other hand, if the internal pressure drops significantly from the specified value, it is suspected that the tire 30 has a malfunction such as a puncture, so it is desirable to also send an alert email to the maintenance company 90.

[0090] Based on the content of the received alert mail, the user 80 requests the maintenance company 90 to perform maintenance (inspection, repair, replacement, etc.) on the tire 30 as necessary (S70).

[0091] (4.2) Operation flow of tire condition monitoring system Next, the operation of the tire condition monitoring system 100 to determine a failure in the tire 30, the operation to determine the state of the vehicle 20, and the operation to determine an unregistered sensor will be described.

[0092] (4.2.1) Example 1 6 shows the operational flow of determining an abnormality in a tire 30 by the tire condition monitoring system 100. As shown in Fig. 6, the tire condition monitoring system 100 acquires tire data (hereinafter simply referred to as data) from the sensors of each tire of the target vehicle 20 (S110).

[0093] In this embodiment, the tire condition monitoring system 100 has a database in which the registration number of the vehicle 20, the sensor ID of the sensor unit 40 attached to the vehicle 20, and the mounting position (wheel position) of the sensor unit 40 are associated with each user 80 (XX Transportation Co., Ltd.), as shown in Figure 9.

[0094] As shown in FIG. 10, the tire condition monitoring system 100 can store tire data (internal pressure, temperature), acquisition time, and whether or not an alert has been issued, in association with each other for each sensor ID.

[0095] As shown in FIG. 10, in this embodiment, alerts include an internal pressure abnormality (alert 1), a temperature abnormality (alert 2), and a sensor malfunction (alert 3).

[0096] The tire condition monitoring system 100 determines whether data has been acquired from all tires 30 mounted on the target vehicle 20 (S120). Specifically, the tire condition monitoring system 100 refers to a database such as that shown in Fig. 9 and determines whether all tire data having sensor IDs associated with the same vehicle registration number has been acquired.

[0097] If data cannot be acquired from the sensor units 40 of some of the tires 30 mounted on the target vehicle 20, the tire condition monitoring system 100 determines whether the state in which data cannot be acquired from those sensor units 40 has continued for a predetermined time or a predetermined number of times (S130).

[0098] Specifically, the tire condition monitoring system 100 determines whether the state in which data cannot be acquired from the part of the sensor units 40 has continued for a predetermined time (e.g., 24 hours) or whether the state has exceeded a predetermined number of times (e.g., 10 times in a row). More specifically, the tire condition monitoring system 100 can determine that data cannot be acquired from the part of the sensor units 40 when data has been received from other sensor units 40 of the same vehicle 20 10 or more times in a row.

[0099] Alternatively, the tire condition monitoring system 100 may determine whether tire data has been acquired a predetermined number of times consecutively from some of the sensor units 40 at the timing of acquiring tire data. Note that the timing of acquiring tire data may be specified in advance, or may be indefinite, such as when the sensor unit 40 becomes able to communicate with the base station 60.

[0100] The tire condition monitoring system 100 generates an alert email (or a periodic distribution report) (S140) when the state in which data cannot be acquired from some of the sensor units 40 exceeds a predetermined time or a predetermined number of times. Specifically, the tire condition monitoring system 100 generates an alert email (or a periodic distribution report) to a predetermined destination based on the database such as that shown in Fig. 9 and tire data information such as that shown in Fig. 10.

[0101] 11 and 12 show examples of a periodic report and an alert email generated by the tire condition monitoring system 100. FIG.

[0102] 11, an alert regarding tire data (internal pressure) for a specific vehicle (registration number: 4124) is sent to user 80 (XX Transportation Co., Ltd.). Specifically, the alert email indicates the mounting position of tire 30 (sensor unit 40), the alert type (excessive internal pressure), the measured internal pressure value (660 kPa, etc.), the target internal pressure value (600 kPa), the sensor ID, and the alert start time / last update time.

[0103] In addition, the example of the regular distribution report shown in FIG. 11 indicates the level (attention level) of the alert, specifically, the number of alerts for each type of warning (high), warning, and attention.

[0104] 12, an alert email is sent regarding tire data (internal pressure) for each tire 30 (sensor unit 40) of a specific vehicle (registration number: 4124). Specifically, the alert email includes the alert level (warning), the mounting position of the tire 30 (sensor unit 40), the sensor ID, the measured internal pressure value ("calculated internal pressure" in the figure), the tire temperature, and the recommended internal pressure.

[0105] The tire condition monitoring system 100 transmits the generated alert email to a predetermined destination (S150). Specifically, the tire condition monitoring system 100 transmits the alert email to the user 80. Note that the tire condition monitoring system 100 may also transmit a copy (CC) of the alert email to the maintenance company 90.

[0106] Alternatively, the tire condition monitoring system 100 may generate and send a separate alert email to the maintenance company 90. In this case, the tire condition monitoring system 100 may include detailed information about the tire 30 or the sensor unit 40 (e.g., the brand and size of the tire 30, the serial number of the sensor unit 40, etc.) in the alert email.

[0107] After sending the alert email, the tire condition monitoring system 100 determines whether data has been acquired from all the tires 30 mounted on the target vehicle 20 (S160).

[0108] The tire condition monitoring system 100 generates an alert cancellation email (S170) when data has been acquired from the sensor units 40 of all tires 30 mounted on the target vehicle 20. The alert cancellation email may be in the same format as the alert emails shown in Figures 11 and 12, or may simply include a notification that the alert has been canceled along with at least one of the vehicle registration number and the sensor ID.

[0109] The tire condition monitoring system 100 sends the generated alert cancellation email to a predetermined destination (S180). The destination of the alert cancellation email may be the same as the destination of the alert email, or may be the user 80 only.

[0110] (4.2.2) Example 2 7 shows the operational flow of determining the state of the vehicle 20 by the tire condition monitoring system 100. As shown in Fig. 7, the tire condition monitoring system 100 determines whether data has been acquired from the target vehicle 20 (S210). Specifically, the tire condition monitoring system 100 determines whether data has been acquired from at least one sensor unit 40 attached to the target vehicle 20 (e.g., registration number 4124).

[0111] It is determined whether the state in which tire data cannot be acquired from all of the sensor units 40 corresponding to each wheel position (1-L1, 1-R1, 2-L1, 2-L2, 2-R1, 2-R2) of the vehicle 20 has continued for a predetermined time or a predetermined number of times (S220).

[0112] Specifically, similar to operation example 1, the tire condition monitoring system 100 determines whether the state in which data cannot be acquired from all sensor units 40 of the target vehicle 20 continues for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 24 hours).

[0113] Alternatively, the tire condition monitoring system 100 may determine whether or not tire data has been acquired from all of the sensor units 40 a predetermined number of times in succession at the timing of acquiring tire data.

[0114] If the tire condition monitoring system 100 is unable to acquire data from all of the sensor units 40 of the target vehicle 20 for more than a predetermined time or a predetermined number of times, it generates an alert email and sends the generated alert email (or regular distribution report) to a predetermined destination (S230, S240). The alert email (or regular distribution report) displays the vehicle 20 as a vehicle from which no data has been received for more than a set predetermined period of time. In other words, this display may mean that the vehicle 20 is not within a predetermined geographical range (within LPWA coverage).

[0115] The destination and format of the alert email (or the periodic distribution report) may be the same as in Operation Example 1 (operation for determining a malfunction of the tire 30).

[0116] In addition, the tire condition monitoring system 100 may manage the condition of the vehicle 20 (registration number 4124) by setting a flag in the database shown in Figure 9 indicating that the vehicle 20 is not located within a specified geographical range.

[0117] After sending the alert mail, the tire condition monitoring system 100 determines whether data has been acquired from the vehicle 20 (S250).

[0118] When the tire condition monitoring system 100 has acquired data from the vehicle 20, it generates an alert cancellation email and sends the generated alert cancellation email to a predetermined destination (S260, S270). The alert cancellation email includes information indicating that the vehicle 20 is within a predetermined geographical range, i.e., within the coverage area of ​​the LPWA. The destination and format of the alert cancellation email may conform to those in Operation Example 1 (operation for determining a malfunction of the tire 30).

[0119] (4.2.3) Example 3 Fig. 8 shows the flow of the operation for determining an unregistered sensor by tire condition monitoring system 100. As shown in Fig. 8, tire condition monitoring system 100 acquires data from the sensor of each tire of target vehicle 20 (S310).

[0120] The tire condition monitoring system 100 determines whether the sensor ID included in the acquired data is registered (S320). Specifically, the tire condition monitoring system 100 refers to a sensor / vehicle database such as that shown in Fig. 9 and determines whether the sensor ID included in the acquired data is associated with the target vehicle 20 (or another vehicle 20).

[0121] If the sensor ID is not associated with the target vehicle 20, that is, if the sensor unit 40 attached to the vehicle 20 is not registered, the tire condition monitoring system 100 generates a sensor unregistered alert email (S330).

[0122] The destination and format of the sensor unregistration alert email may be the same as those in Operation Example 1 (operation for determining a malfunction of the tire 30). Alternatively, the sensor unregistration alert email may simply indicate the presence of an unregistered sensor together with the registration number of the vehicle 20. Alternatively, instead of the sensor unregistration alert email, an alert may be sent addressed to the ECU mounted on the vehicle 20.

[0123] Furthermore, the tire condition monitoring system 100 may manage the fact that an unregistered sensor is attached to a specific vehicle 20 by associating it with the items in the database shown in FIGS.

[0124] The tire condition monitoring system 100 transmits the generated sensor unregistered alert email to a predetermined destination (S340).

[0125] (5) Actions and Effects The above-described embodiment provides the following advantageous effects. Specifically, the tire condition monitoring system 100 directly acquires tire data, such as internal pressure, from each of a plurality of sensors, such as the temperature sensor 41 and the pressure sensor 43, that make up the sensor unit 40, via wireless communication over a low-power wide area network (LPWA). Furthermore, if the tire condition monitoring system 100 is unable to acquire tire data from some of the sensor units 40 for a predetermined period of time, it determines that the operation of the sensor unit 40 is abnormal, and notifies a predetermined destination, such as the user 80, of the identification information of the vehicle 20 associated with the sensor unit 40 and information indicating the abnormal operation of the sensor unit 40.

[0126] Therefore, while using LPWA, which covers a limited geographical area, it is possible to shorten the period during which tire data cannot be acquired due to malfunction of the sensor unit 40. In addition, the status of tire data acquisition can be shared with the user 80 and the maintenance company 90 at any time.

[0127] That is, the fixed-point internal pressure monitoring system 10 including the tire condition monitoring system 100 can reliably acquire tire data such as internal pressure while using a low-power wide-area network.

[0128] Furthermore, by using LPWA, power consumption can be reduced compared to when a mobile communication system such as 4G is used, which can extend the operating time of the sensor unit 40, which would otherwise be battery-powered, and can reduce the size, weight, and cost of the sensor unit 40. Furthermore, communication costs can be reduced compared to when a mobile communication system such as 4G is used.

[0129] In addition, in this embodiment, if the tire condition monitoring system 100 determines that the sensor unit 40 is operating abnormally and then acquires tire data from the sensor unit 40 again, it can determine that the sensor unit 40 is operating normally and notify a specified destination of information indicating that the sensor unit 40 is operating normally (i.e., has recovered).

[0130] Therefore, the user 80 (and the maintenance company 90) can quickly recognize the restoration of the sensor unit 40 while using LPWA.

[0131] In this embodiment, when the tire condition monitoring system 100 determines that the vehicle 20 is not located within a predetermined geographical range, that is, when the tire condition monitoring system 100 determines that the vehicle 20 is not located within the LPWA coverage, the tire condition monitoring system 100 can notify a predetermined destination of the identification information of the vehicle 20 and information indicating that the vehicle 20 is not located within the predetermined geographical range.

[0132] Therefore, the vehicle 20 can estimate its geographical position by utilizing the sensor units 40 attached to the tires 30 mounted on the vehicle 20 and the characteristics of LPWA (wide coverage).

[0133] In this embodiment, when the tire condition monitoring system 100 acquires tire data including an unregistered sensor ID, it can notify a specified destination of the existence of an unregistered sensor, i.e., that an unregistered sensor unit 40 is attached to the vehicle 20 (tire 30).

[0134] Therefore, it is possible to quickly detect that a sensor unit 40 that is not subject to management in the tire condition monitoring system 100 has been attached to a tire 30. As a result, appropriate measures can be taken quickly, such as removing or registering the unregistered sensor unit 40.

[0135] (6) Other embodiments The present invention has been described above in accordance with the embodiments, but it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to these descriptions and that various modifications and improvements are possible.

[0136] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the tire condition monitoring system 100 is described as being connected to a communication network 70 and realized by executing a computer program (software) on hardware such as a server computer, but some or all of the functions of the tire condition monitoring system 100 may be provided virtually, for example, by a combination of services provided on a network cloud (not shown).

[0137] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the sensor unit 40 had the function of performing wireless communication with the base station 60 according to LPWA, but may also have the function of performing wireless communication with the vehicle 20 using a short-range wireless method, as in the conventional case.

[0138] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the descriptions and drawings that form part of this disclosure should not be understood to limit the present invention. Various alternative embodiments, examples, and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0139] 10 Yard Monitoring System 20 vehicles 21 Front axle 22 Rear wheel axle 30 tires 40 Sensor Unit 41 Temperature Sensor 43 Pressure Sensor 44 Accelerometer 45 Sensor ID setting section 47 Radio Communication Department 49 Battery 60 base station 70 Communication Network 80 users 90 Maintenance Company 100 Tire Condition Monitoring System 110 Tire data acquisition unit 120 Sensor and Vehicle Database 130 Sensor state determination unit 140 Vehicle state determination unit 150 Notification Department

Claims

1. A tire condition monitoring system that monitors the conditions of a plurality of tires mounted on a vehicle at a location separated from the vehicle by using a plurality of sensors respectively associated with the plurality of tires, a tire data acquisition unit that directly acquires tire data indicating the state of the tire from each of the plurality of sensors via wireless communication; a determination unit that determines that the operation of the sensor is abnormal when the tire data cannot be acquired from some of the plurality of sensors for a predetermined time; a notification unit that, when it is determined that the sensor is operating abnormally, notifies a predetermined destination of the vehicle identification information and information indicating the sensor is operating abnormally; Equipped with the determination unit determines that the vehicle is not present within a predetermined geographical range that is a coverage area of ​​a wireless communication system when the tire data cannot be acquired from all of the plurality of sensors for a predetermined time period; The tire condition monitoring system wherein, when it is determined that the vehicle is not located within the specified geographical range, the notification unit notifies the specified destination of the vehicle's identification information and information indicating that the vehicle is not located within the specified geographical range.

2. the tire data acquisition unit acquires, from each of the plurality of sensors, sensor identification information that identifies each of the plurality of sensors; 2. The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit notifies the predetermined destination of the presence of an unregistered sensor when the tire data acquisition unit acquires unregistered sensor identification information.

3. the determination unit determines that the sensor is operating normally when the tire data is acquired from the sensor again after determining that the sensor is operating abnormally; The tire condition monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the notification unit notifies the predetermined destination of information indicating that the sensor is operating normally.

4. A tire condition monitoring method for monitoring the conditions of a plurality of tires mounted on a vehicle at a location separated from the vehicle by using a plurality of sensors associated with each of the tires, the method comprising: directly acquiring tire data indicating the state of the tire from each of the plurality of sensors via wireless communication; determining that the operation of the sensor is abnormal when the tire data cannot be acquired from some of the plurality of sensors for a predetermined time; If it is determined that the sensor is operating abnormally, notifying a predetermined destination of the vehicle's identification information and information indicating that the sensor is operating abnormally. Including, In the determining step, if the tire data cannot be acquired from all of the plurality of sensors for a predetermined time, it is determined that the vehicle does not exist within a predetermined geographical range that is a coverage area of ​​a wireless communication system; In the notifying step, if it is determined that the vehicle is not located within the predetermined geographical range, the tire condition monitoring method notifies the predetermined destination of the vehicle's identification information and information indicating that the vehicle is not located within the predetermined geographical range.

5. A tire condition monitoring program that monitors the conditions of a plurality of tires mounted on a vehicle at a location separated from the vehicle by using a plurality of sensors associated with each of the tires, the program comprising: a tire data acquisition process for directly acquiring tire data indicating the state of the tire from each of the plurality of sensors via wireless communication; a determination process for determining that an operation of a sensor is abnormal when the tire data cannot be acquired from some of the plurality of sensors for a predetermined time; a notification process for notifying a predetermined destination of the vehicle identification information and information indicating the abnormal operation of the sensor when it is determined that the sensor is operating abnormally; on the computer, In the determination process, if the tire data cannot be acquired from all of the plurality of sensors for a predetermined time, it is determined that the vehicle does not exist within a predetermined geographical range that is a coverage area of ​​a wireless communication system; In the notification process, if it is determined that the vehicle is not located within the specified geographical range, the tire condition monitoring program notifies the specified destination of the vehicle's identification information and information indicating that the vehicle is not located within the specified geographical range.

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