Magnetic driving system that provides tire pressure measurement

Abstract

A system for measuring internal tire pressure may include a processing circuit and a memory coupled to the processing circuit. The memory may store instructions executable by the processing circuit to cause the processing circuit to perform operations. The operations may include determining a contact patch area of ​​the tire on a driving surface. The operations may further include determining a load on the tire. The operations may further include determining the internal tire pressure based on the load on the tire and the contact patch area.

Description

Technical Field

[0004]

[0001] (Cross - Reference to Related Applications) This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 274,121, filed on November 1, 2021, the disclosure and content of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0002] [[ID=ll]](Field of the Invention) This disclosure generally relates to determining tire pressure, and more particularly to a magnetic drive - over system ("DOS") that provides tire pressure measurement. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Improper tire pressure can accelerate tire tread wear, which can lead to more frequent tire changes and / or reduced safety. In some cases, tires driven with low air pressure can generate heat that weakens the tire to its point of failure. In additional or alternative cases, tires that are rapidly losing air can cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle.

[0005] According to some embodiments, a system for measuring the internal pressure of a tire is provided. The system includes a processing circuit and a memory coupled to the processing circuit. The memory stores instructions that the processing circuit can execute in order to cause the processing circuit to perform operations. These operations include determining the area of ​​the tire's contact patch on the running surface. These operations further include determining the load on the tire. These operations further include determining the internal pressure of the tire based on the load on the tire and the area of ​​the contact patch.

[0006] According to another embodiment, a system for measuring the internal pressure of a tire is provided. This system includes a running surface, a contact sensor, a load sensor, and a processing circuit. The running surface is configured to receive a tire on its top. The contact sensor is configured to measure information relating to the contact surface of the tire on the running surface. The load sensor is configured to measure the load on the tire as the tire moves on the running surface. The processing circuit is communicatively coupled to the contact sensor and the load sensor and is configured to determine the internal pressure of the tire based on the information relating to the contact surface and the load on the tire.

[0007] According to other embodiments, a method for measuring the internal pressure of a tire is provided. This method includes determining the area of ​​the tire's contact patch on the running surface. This method further includes determining the load on the tire. This method further includes determining the internal pressure of the tire based on the load on the tire and the area of ​​the contact patch.

[0008] In other embodiments, a non-temporary computer-readable medium is provided. The non-temporary computer-readable medium stores instructions that can be executed by a processing circuit and causes the processing circuit to perform operations. These operations include determining the area of ​​the tire's contact patch on the running surface. These operations further include determining the load on the tire. These operations further include determining the tire's internal pressure based on the load on the tire and the area of ​​the contact patch.

[0009] According to another embodiment, a distributed system for determining the internal pressure of a tire is provided. The distributed system includes a plurality of distributed processing circuits and one or more memory devices, each coupled to at least one of the plurality of distributed processing circuits. The one or more memory devices store instructions that can be executed by the plurality of distributed processing circuits in order to cause the plurality of distributed processing circuits to perform operations. These operations include determining the area of ​​the tire's contact patch on the running surface. These operations further include determining the load on the tire. These operations further include determining the internal pressure of the tire based on the load on the tire and the area of ​​the contact patch.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the concept of the present invention, a system can be provided that improves vehicle tire monitoring and enhances vehicle safety. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] The accompanying drawings, included to provide a further understanding of this disclosure and incorporated into and constituting part thereof, illustrate certain non-limiting embodiments of the concept of the present invention. [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a driving system for providing tire pressure measurement according to several embodiments of the concept of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the housing of the travel system of Figure 1, according to several embodiments of the concept of the present invention. [Figure 3]Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an example of the housing of the travel system of Figure 1, according to several embodiments of the concept of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a single sensor system according to several embodiments of the concept of the present invention, in which magnets are mounted vertically and a sensor is positioned along the axis between the magnets. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a multi-sensor array system according to several embodiments of the concept of the present invention, in which the magnets are mounted vertically with each sensor positioned along the respective axis between the two magnets. [Figure 6A] Figure 6A is a top view and a side view showing an example of a housing having two cavities for separate sensor arrays, according to several embodiments of the concept of the present invention. [Figure 6B] Figure 6B is a top view and a side view showing an example of a housing having two cavities for separate sensor arrays, according to several embodiments of the concept of the present invention. [Figure 6C] Figure 6C is a top view and a side view showing an example of a housing having two cavities for separate sensor arrays, according to several embodiments of the concept of the present invention. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a heatmap showing examples of data representing the contact area of ​​a tire according to several embodiments of the concept of the present invention. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a heatmap showing examples of data representing the contact area of ​​a tire according to several embodiments of the concept of the present invention. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows an example of a system including two linear arrays of sensors (one array with magnets and one array without magnets) according to several embodiments of the concept of the present invention. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a block diagram showing an example of a controller configured to determine tire pressure, according to several embodiments of the concept of the present invention. [Figure 11]Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation performed by a driving system for determining tire pressure, according to several embodiments of the concept of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The concept of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating examples of embodiments of the concept. However, the concept of the present invention can be carried out in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to ensure that this disclosure is thorough and complete and to fully convey the scope of the concept of the present invention to those skilled in the art. It should also be noted that these embodiments are not mutually exclusive. Components from one embodiment may be implicitly assumed to exist / be used in another embodiment.

[0013] The following description presents various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. These embodiments are presented as teaching examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosed subject matter. For example, certain details of the embodiments described may be modified, omitted, or expanded without departing from the scope of the disclosed subject matter.

[0014] The various embodiments described herein provide procedures for measuring tire pressure based on the load on the tire and the area of ​​the tire's contact patch on a surface. In some examples, the contact patch refers to the portion of the tire that is actually in contact with the surface (e.g., the road surface). Conceptually, the tire pressure (P) can be estimated based on the load on the tire (L) and the area of ​​the tire's contact patch (A) using the formula P = L / A. In practice, this relationship is adjusted based on a calibration coefficient that can be measured empirically to account for other variables (e.g., the material stiffness of the tire).

[0015] In some embodiments, a running system ("DOS") is used to measure the load on the tire and the area of the ground contact surface. The DOS can include a processing circuit that determines the tire air pressure based on the measured load and area.

[0016] Figures 1 - 3 show an example of a DOS100 that can determine the tire air pressure of a tire running on top of the DOS100. The DOS100 can have a housing with a shape similar to a speed bump (although any suitable shape can be used), and this housing has a first slope that rises towards a flat region and a second slope that extends downward from the flat region. A metal plate 130 can be positioned on the flat region to provide a running surface.

[0017] In this example, the housing includes a cavity 250. A linear sensor array is positioned within the cavity 250 and extends up to the length of the metal plate 130. The linear sensor array can include magnets and / or magnetic sensors (such as those shown in Figures 4 and 6) that can measure changes in the magnetic field caused by a tire running on the DOS100. In some examples, the change in the magnetic field can be used to determine the area of the ground contact surface.

[0018] In this example, a pressure sensor 310 is positioned within the cavity 250. The pressure sensor 310 can output an indication of the load on the tire as the tire moves across the DOS100. In some examples, the pressure sensor 310 generates a response (e.g., an electrical signal) proportional to the load in response to a change in the pressure within the cavity 250 caused by the deflection of the metal plate 130 (which can include a semi - rigid layer). In this example, the cavity 250 is sealed to enable the pressure sensor to operate effectively. However, in other implementations, the cavity 250 may not be sealed.

[0019] In this example, the load cell 320 is positioned within the cavity 250 and is configured to measure the load on the tire as it moves across the DOS 100.

[0020] In this example, a strain gauge 360 ​​is positioned within the cavity 250 and coupled to the metal plate 130. The strain gauge 360 ​​can be configured to measure the deflection of the metal plate 130, which can then be used to determine the load on the tire.

[0021] In additional or alternative examples, a capacitor (e.g., a compressible parallel plate capacitor or a flex capacitor) is included between the metal plate 130 and the rigid portion of the housing, allowing the load on the tire to be measured based on the deflection of the metal plate 130. In additional or alternative embodiments, only a subset of pressure sensors 310, load cells 320, strain gauges 360, capacitors, or other suitable load sensors are included in the DOS. In additional or alternative embodiments, the housing may include a plurality of cavities, each containing one or more load sensors and / or contact surface sensors. In other embodiments, the DOS does not include load sensors and instead receives indications of the load on the tire from a vehicle or remote device associated with the tire (e.g., a separate scale).

[0022] Figure 3 further shows an example of the DOS 100 including a controller 370 located within the cavity 250. The controller 370 (further shown in Figure 10) may include a processing circuit 1002 communicably coupled to a memory 1004 and a transceiver 1006. The memory 1004 may include instructions that can be executed by the processing circuit 1002 to cause the DOS 100 to perform operations. In some embodiments, these operations include determining the internal pressure of the tire based on the load on the tire and the contact area of ​​the tire on the running surface. In additional or alternative embodiments, the transceiver 1006 may receive a load and / or area indication. In additional or alternative embodiments, the transceiver 1006 may transmit a tire pressure indication.

[0023] In some embodiments, one or more sensors within the DOS can measure data associated with the tires and transmit that data to a remote device (e.g., a cloud-based device), which then analyzes it and reports it to the operator of the vehicle associated with the tires.

[0024] Various embodiments for determining the contact patch of a tire when the tire is running over a DOS are described below.

[0025] Some embodiments of the concepts of the present invention described herein may provide a magnetic sensor system used to determine the contact area of ​​a tire on a running surface. In some examples, the magnetic sensor system can determine the thickness of the rubber outside the steel belt of the tire. This thickness may include both the tread rubber and the thin layer of rubber between the bottom of the grooves and the steel belt, and this thickness may be used to determine the tread depth (also referred to as tread thickness). In some embodiments, the magnetic sensors of the magnetic sensor system may be mounted on a PCB to allow scaling and dimensional control of the sensor array.

[0026] This system may be enclosed within a housing (e.g., housing 501, which will be discussed in more detail below with respect to Figure 5) that protects the electronic equipment, sensors, and magnets, and which may provide a structure for the vehicle to run, allowing the sensors to measure the tire's response to the induced magnetic field generated by the magnets within the housing.

[0027] Some embodiments of the concept of the present invention may provide a magnetic sensor that, when coupled with magnets (e.g., permanent magnets or electromagnets) aligned in a plane perpendicular to the plane in which the sensor resides, provides a magnetic field measurement related to a steel belt in response to magnets when a tire is directly adjacent to the array. Similarly, as shown in Figure 6, an array of sensors accompanied by an array of magnets can be used to measure a magnetic field along the length of the array. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a plate of a non-magnetic material (e.g., aluminum, Delrin, etc.), also called a non-magnetic layer or non-magnetic plate, can be placed on top of the array of sensors and magnets to protect the sensors and magnets from tires rolling on the array. The poles of the magnets (e.g., permanent magnets and / or electromagnets) are each oriented vertically, with all north poles N pointing upward and all south poles pointing downward (as shown in Figures 4 and 6), or with all south poles S pointing upward and all north poles N pointing downward.

[0028] Magnets can be arranged around the sensor in numerous ways, including in triangular, square, pentagonal, or hexagonal shapes, or other configurations. In addition, magnets can be positioned so that they are directly below the sensor (on the same vertical axis).

[0029] Figure 4 shows a single sensor system in which magnets 407a and 407b (e.g., permanent magnets or electromagnets) are mounted vertically and have the same polarity facing upward. As shown in Figure 4, all North Poles N may face upward toward the non-magnetic plate 403, but according to other embodiments, all South Poles S may face upward toward the non-magnetic plate 403. A tire 405 with a steel belt 405a is positioned above the sensor 401 when the tire 405 rolls over the sensor, with the tread blocks 405b on the sensor 401. The non-magnetic plate 403 protects / separates the sensor 401 (as well as the magnets 407a and 407b with frames 421) from the tire 405. The cross-sectional view in Figure 4 shows two magnets 407a and 407b on either side of a vertical axis 431 passing through the sensor 401, but any number of magnets may be arranged around the vertical axis 431 passing through the sensor 401.

[0030] As shown in Figure 4, magnets 407a and 407b may be embedded in the non-magnetic frame 421. Although not shown, a Hall effect sensor 401 may also be embedded in the non-magnetic frame 421. Furthermore, the upper surfaces of magnets 407a and 407b may be below the Hall effect sensor 401, as shown, to increase the sensitivity of the system. When the tire 405 is on the non-magnetic plate 403 opposite the magnets 407a and 407b and the Hall effect sensor 401, the steel belt 405a of the tire interacts with the magnetic field generated by magnets 407a and 407b, and these interactions with the magnetic field detected by the Hall effect sensor 401 can be used to determine the tread depth / thickness 405c and / or the contact surface of the tire on the non-magnetic plate 403.

[0031] Figure 5 shows a multi-sensor array system having magnets 507a, 507b, 507c, and 507d (e.g., permanent magnets and / or electromagnets) mounted within a non-magnetic frame 521, such that a non-magnetic plate 403 is located between the magnets 507a, 507b, 507c, and 507d and the tire 405. In Figure 5, multiple Hall effect sensors 401a, 401b, and 401c are provided (on or embedded in the non-magnetic frame 521), enabling individual measurements of the tire tread depth / thickness 405c across the width of the tire 405. In Figure 5, each Hall effect sensor may operate as discussed above with respect to a single Hall effect sensor in Figure 4. The cross-sectional view in Figure 5 shows all the magnets and sensors in the same vertical plane, although the magnets may be arranged in any preferred manner. As discussed above with respect to Figure 4, the top surface of the magnet may be below the Hall effect sensor to increase the sensitivity of the system.

[0032] Figures 6A to 6C show a housing 601 having two cavities 605a and 605b, respectively, for separate sensor arrays. The two cavities 605a and 605b can each be configured to contain an array of magnetic sensors.

[0033] The non-magnetic cover plate 640 (also referred to as the top plate, plate, or non-magnetic layer, as discussed above) covers the cavities 605a-605b, protecting the magnetic sensors within them and defining the distance from each sensor in the array to the tire. In the top view of Figure 6A, the cavities 605a-605b are marked with dashed lines to indicate that they are located beneath the non-magnetic cover plate 640. By providing a recess for the non-magnetic cover plate 640, the top surface of the non-magnetic cover plate 640 can be coplanar with adjacent surfaces of the housing 601.

[0034] The sensor and / or sensor array structure (for example, as discussed above with respect to one or more of Figures 1 to 5) may be provided within the cavities 605a to 605b, and the non-magnetic cover plate 640 may be provided on top of the sensor / array. According to some embodiments discussed above with respect to the cross-sectional view of Figure 4, the sensor structure may be defined to include a frame 421, a Hall effect sensor 401, and magnets 407a and 407b, which may be provided in each of the cavities 605a and 605b of the housing 601, and the non-magnetic cover plate 640 (corresponding to plate 403 in Figure 4) may be provided on top of the sensor structure. With respect to the cross-sectional view of Figure 5, according to some embodiments discussed above, the sensor array structure may be defined to include a frame 521, Hall effect sensors 401a, 401b, and 401c, and magnets 507a, 507b, 507c, and 507d, which may be provided within cavities 605a to 605b of the housing 601, and a non-magnetic cover plate 640 (corresponding to plate 403 in Figure 5) may be provided on top of the sensor structure within cavities 605a to 605b.

[0035] In some embodiments, the DOS uses a linear array of sensors to continuously measure tire tread depth, which may include data as a function of time. This data as a function of time can be represented as a heatmap (for example, as shown in Figures 7-8). For a given tire and air pressure condition, a high-speed moving vehicle will produce a shorter sensor track, while a low-speed moving vehicle will produce a longer track. Therefore, the length of the sensor data track may be a function of both the actual tire patch length and the vehicle speed. To determine the tire patch length from the sensor data track, it may be necessary to know the speed of the tire on the sensor array.

[0036] Figures 7 and 8 show example heatmaps generated from data measured by sensor arrays in response to two different vehicles traveling over the DOS at two different speeds. In this example, the vehicle associated with Figure 7 was driven approximately six times faster than the vehicle associated with Figure 8.

[0037] Various embodiments for determining the speed of a tire (or a vehicle associated with a tire) when it is traveling over a DOS are described below.

[0038] In some embodiments, the vehicle speed can be determined using multiple linear sensor arrays within the DOS. In some examples, a first sensor can detect the tire at a first position at a first time, and a second sensor can detect the tire at a second position at a second time. The tire speed can be calculated based on the difference between the first time and the second time, and the difference between the first position and the second position. In additional or alternative examples, the first and second sensors may be a combination of load sensors (e.g., strain gauges) and / or contact surface sensors (e.g., magnetic sensors).

[0039] In additional or alternative embodiments, a separate sensor (e.g., a pneumatic tube, camera, or RFID reader) can be used to measure the vehicle's speed.

[0040] In additional or alternative embodiments, the vehicle speed associated with the tires may be received from the vehicle or a remote device.

[0041] Multiple array systems are discussed below with respect to Figure 9. As shown in Figure 9, two linear arrays of Hall effect sensors may be provided, one array 903 having no magnets and one array 901 having magnets. In arrays 901 and 903, squares represent magnetic sensors, and in array 901, circles represent magnets.

[0042] According to some embodiments of the concept of the present invention, the system may be equipped with two sensor arrays perpendicular to the direction of travel of the tire, as shown in Figure 9, one array 901 having magnets and a second array 903 without magnets. Sensor array 901 having magnets (indicated by circles) provides an overall response to both the remanent magnetization in the tire's steel belt (e.g., including the residual magnetic field and shape anisotropy in the tire's steel belt) and the magnetic field from the magnets. Sensor array 903 without magnets picks up only the remanent magnetization in the tire's steel belt (e.g., the residual magnetic field and shape anisotropy in the tire's steel belt). The residual magnetic field can then be mathematically extracted from the response measured using the sensor array with magnets. This technique may provide a way to fine-tune the magnetic response and account for stray residual magnetic fields. In other words, the sensors in array 901 measure the disturbance of the magnetic field from the magnets in array 901 due to the presence of the tire's steel belt. The closer the steel belt is, the greater the influence of the steel belt on the magnetic field lines from the magnets, and therefore the greater the change in the signal measured by the sensors.

[0043] Now, referring to the flowchart in Figure 11, we will consider the operation of DOS (for example, DOS 100 implemented using the structure of the block diagram in Figure 3) according to some embodiments of the concept of the present invention. In some examples, modules may be stored in memory 1004 in Figure 10, and these modules may provide instructions so that the processing circuit 1002 performs each operation of the flowchart when the module's instructions are executed by the respective DOS processing circuit 1002.

[0044] Figure 11 shows exemplary operation performed by the DOS to determine the internal pressure of a tire. In some embodiments, the DOS includes a running surface, contact sensors, load sensors, and processing circuits. In additional or alternative embodiments, the DOS (e.g., DOS 100) includes a running surface (e.g., a metal plate 130) configured to receive a tire on top, and a housing that provides a cavity (e.g., a cavity 250) inside. The cavity may include at least one of the following: processing circuits (e.g., processing circuit 1102), memory (e.g., memory 1104), transceivers (e.g., transceiver 1106), contact sensors (e.g., a magnetic sensor array 140) configured to measure information associated with the contact surface of the tire on the running surface, and load sensors (e.g., a pressure sensor 310, a load cell 320, or a strain gauge 360) configured to measure the load on the tire as the tire moves on the running surface.

[0045] In block 1110, the processing circuit 1102 determines the speed of the tire as it moves across the running surface. In some embodiments, determining the speed includes determining the time between the detection of the tire at a first position by the first sensor and the detection of the tire at a second position by the second sensor, and determining the speed based on the time and the distance between the first position and the second position.

[0046] In block 1120, the processing circuit 1102 determines the area of ​​the tire's contact surface on the running surface. In some embodiments, determining the area of ​​the contact surface includes determining the area via a magnetic sensor positioned within a cavity of the housing that provides the running surface. In some examples, determining the area via a magnetic sensor includes determining the area of ​​the tire in contact with the running surface based on changes in the magnetic field generated by a magnet in the housing and the tire as the tire moves across the running surface.

[0047] In additional or alternative embodiments, determining the area of ​​the contact surface includes determining the length of the contact surface based on changes in velocity and magnetic field, determining the width of the contact surface based on changes in magnetic field, and determining the area of ​​the contact surface based on length and width.

[0048] In block 1130, the processing circuit 1102 determines the load on the tire. In some embodiments, determining the load includes determining the load indication via at least one of the following: a pressure sensor located in a sealed cavity of a housing that provides the running surface; a load cell located beneath a semi-rigid layer of the running surface; a capacitor located between the semi-rigid layer and the rigid layer of the running surface; and a strain gauge coupled to the semi-rigid layer of the running surface.

[0049] In additional or alternative embodiments, determining the load includes receiving a load indication. In some examples, this indication is received from an external system (e.g., a vehicle and / or remote device associated with the tires).

[0050] In block 1140, the processing circuit 1102 determines the internal pressure of the tire based on the load applied to the tire and the area of ​​the contact surface. In some embodiments, determining the internal pressure based on the load and area includes dividing the load by the area.

[0051] In block 1150, the processing circuit 1102 transmits a tire pressure display via the transceiver 1106. In some embodiments, the pressure display is transmitted to the vehicle associated with the tire. In additional or alternative embodiments, the pressure display is transmitted to a remote device. In some examples, the remote device is a display for showing the tire pressure. In additional or alternative examples, the remote device is a central device for monitoring the pressure of multiple tires on the same vehicle and / or other vehicles.

[0052] Although Figure 11 shows the operations performed by DOS as described above, these operations can be performed by any suitable system, including a distributed system (e.g., a cloud network). In some examples, the distributed system receives a display of the contact area and the load on the tire, and determines the internal pressure of the tire based on the contact area and the load on the tire.

[0053] In the various embodiments of the concept of the present invention described above, it should be understood that the technical terms used herein are for the sole purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the concept of the present invention. Unless otherwise specifically defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the concept of the present invention pertains. Terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having the meaning consistent with their meanings in the context of this specification and related art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined herein.

[0054] When an element is referred to as “connected,” “combined,” “responding,” or a variation thereof to another element, it may be directly connected to, combined with, or responding to the other element, or there may be an intervening element. In contrast, when an element is referred to as “directly connected,” “directly combined,” “directly responding,” or a variation thereof to another element, there is no intervening element. Throughout, similar numbers refer to similar elements. Furthermore, as used herein, “combined,” “connected,” “responding,” or a variation thereof may include being combined, connected, or responding wirelessly. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to similarly include the plural unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Well-known functions or configurations may not be described in detail for the sake of brevity and / or clarity. The term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the enumerated items relating to the subject.

[0055] Terms such as "first," "second," and "third" may be used herein to describe various elements / operations, but it will be understood that these elements / operations should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one element / operation from another. Thus, a first element / operation in some embodiments may be referred to as a second element / operation in other embodiments without departing from teaching the concepts of the present invention. The same reference number or the same reference designator refers to the same or similar elements throughout this specification.

[0056] As used herein, “comprise,” “comprising,” “comprises,” “include,” “including,” “includes,” “have,” “has,” “having,” or variations thereof are open-ended and include one or more stated features, integers, elements, steps, components, or functions, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, elements, steps, components, functions, or groups thereof. Furthermore, as used herein, the general abbreviation “eg,” derived from the Latin phrase “exempli gratia,” may be used to introduce or specify a general example of one or more previously mentioned items, and is not intended to limit such items. The general abbreviation “ie,” derived from the Latin phrase “id est,” may be used to specify a particular item from a more general description.

[0057] Dimensions of elements in drawings may be exaggerated for clarity. Furthermore, when an element is referred to as being "on top" of another element, it should be understood that this could mean that the element is directly on top of the other element, or that there is an intervening element between them. In addition, terms such as "top," "bottom," "upper side," "lower side," "upper," and "lower" are used herein to describe the relative position of elements or features shown in the drawings. For example, when the top of a drawing is referred to as "top" and the bottom of a drawing as "bottom" for convenience, in practice, without departing from teaching the concept of the invention (for example, if the structure is rotated 180° with respect to the orientation of the drawing), "top" may also be called "bottom" and "bottom" may also be called "top."

[0058] Exemplary embodiments are described herein with reference to block diagrams and / or flowcharts of computer implementation methods, apparatus (systems and / or devices), and / or computer program products. It is understood that blocks in block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in block diagrams and / or flowcharts, can be implemented by computer program instructions executed by one or more computer circuits. These computer program instructions are provided to processor circuits of general-purpose computer circuits, dedicated computer circuits, and / or other programmable data processing circuits, so that instructions executed via the processor of a computer and / or other programmable data processing device can generate a machine that translates and controls transistors, values ​​stored in memory locations, and other hardware components in such circuits to implement the functions / operations specified in the block diagrams and / or flowchart blocks, thereby creating means (functionality) and / or structures for implementing the functions / operations specified in the block diagrams and / or flowchart blocks.

[0059] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a tangible computer-readable medium that can instruct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular way, resulting in a product containing instructions that implement functions / operations specified in block diagrams and / or one or more flowchart blocks. Thus, embodiments of the concept of the present invention may be embodied in hardware and / or software (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.) operating on a processor (also referred to as a controller), such as a digital signal processor, which may collectively be referred to as “circuits,” “modules,” or variations thereof.

[0060] It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions / operations described in a block may be performed in a different order than that shown in the flowchart. For example, two consecutively shown blocks may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order depending on the functionality / operations they contain. Furthermore, the functionality of a given block in a flowchart and / or block diagram may be separated into multiple blocks, and / or the functionality of two or more blocks in a flowchart and / or block diagram may be integrated at least partially. Finally, without departing from the scope of the concept of the present invention, other blocks may be added / inserted between illustrated blocks, and / or blocks / operations may be omitted. Furthermore, while some of the diagrams include arrows on the communication path to indicate the main direction of communication, it should be understood that communication may occur in the opposite direction to the indicated arrows.

[0061] Many variations and modifications can be made to the embodiments without substantially departing from the principles of the concept of the present invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included herein within the scope of the concept of the present invention. Accordingly, the subject matter disclosed above is to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive, and the examples of embodiments are intended to encompass all such modifications, extensions, and other embodiments that fall within the spirit and scope of the concept of the present invention. Accordingly, to the maximum extent permitted by law, the scope of the concept of the present invention is determined by the broadest acceptable interpretation of this disclosure, including the following claims and their equivalents, and is not limited or restricted by the detailed description above.

Claims

1. A system for measuring the internal pressure of a tire having a steel belt, wherein the system is Processing circuit and A memory coupled to the processing circuit, wherein the processing circuit has (1120) Determining the area of ​​the contact surface of the tire on the running surface, Determining the load on the aforementioned tire (1130), A memory that stores instructions executable by the processing circuit in order to perform an operation including determining the internal pressure of the tire based on the load applied to the tire and the area of ​​the contact surface (1140), A housing that provides a running surface configured to receive the tire at its upper part, wherein the running surface is provided by a non-magnetic layer, A contact sensor configured to measure information related to the contact surface of the tire on the running surface, A load sensor configured to measure the load applied to the tire as the tire moves on the running surface, Equipped with, The contact sensor includes a magnet and a magnetic sensor associated with the magnet, wherein the magnetic sensor is configured to detect a magnetic field generated from the magnet and the tire on the running surface. Determining the area of ​​the contact surface of the tire includes determining the area of ​​the contact surface based on a plurality of measurements of the magnetic field acquired while the tire is moving on the running surface. system.

2. The housing includes a cavity inside, The system according to claim 1, wherein the cavity includes at least one of the processing circuit, the memory, the transceiver, the contact sensor, and the load sensor.

3. The first sensor is configured to detect the tire at a first position. The second sensor is configured to detect the tire at the second position, The aforementioned operation, (1110) further includes determining the speed of the tire during the time the tire was in contact with the running surface. Determining the speed of the aforementioned tire is The time between the detection of the tire by the first sensor and the detection of the tire by the second sensor is determined, The process includes determining the speed based on the aforementioned time and the distance between the first position and the second position, Determining the area of ​​the contact surface is The length of the contact surface is determined based on the aforementioned speed and the change in the aforementioned magnetic field, The width of the contact surface is determined based on the aforementioned change in the magnetic field, The system according to claim 1, comprising determining the area of ​​the contact surface based on the length and width of the contact surface.

4. The aforementioned running surface includes a metal layer, The aforementioned load sensor, A pressure sensor configured to generate a response proportional to the load applied to the tire in response to the deflection of the metal layer when the tire moves on the running surface, A load cell configured to generate a response proportional to the load applied to the tire when the tire moves on the running surface, A compressible parallel plate capacitor positioned between the metal layer and the rigid layer, configured to generate a response proportional to the load applied to the tire when the tire moves on the running surface, The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising at least one of the following: strain gauges bonded to the metal layer and configured to produce a response proportional to the load applied to the tire as the tire moves on the running surface.

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