Information processing device, information processing program, and information processing system

Abstract

On the basis of a specification and a wear state of each tire mounted on a vehicle, a recommended internal pressure for the tire is calculated with respect to each tire mounting position of the vehicle and a proposal for adjusting the internal pressure of each tire mounted on the vehicle to the recommended internal pressure is output.

Description

Information Processing Apparatus, Information Processing Program, and Information Processing System

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing program, and an information processing system.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a mine management apparatus that acquires traveling path information including information on the moisture content of a traveling path on which a dump truck operating in a mine travels, and position information of the traveling path corresponding to the traveling path information, and generates speed limit information when the dump truck travels on the traveling path based on the acquired traveling path information and position information (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-196051).

[0003] In a mine, many mining vehicles travel on a traveling path in order to transport the mined ore. At such a mine site, activities are being carried out to reduce the fuel consumption of mining vehicles in order to reduce costs and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, which is one of the concepts advocated by SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).

[0004] Conventional methods for reducing fuel consumption have mainly focused on controlling the operation of mining vehicles, such as shortening the idling time and controlling the vehicle speed, to achieve economical driving.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing program, and an information processing system that can reduce the fuel consumption in a mining vehicle by a method different from the method of controlling the operation of the mining vehicle.

[0006] The information processing apparatus according to the first aspect includes a calculation unit that calculates a recommended internal pressure of a tire that maximizes the distance traveled per unit fuel consumption or the unit fuel consumption and the distance traveled per unit payload of the mining vehicle for each mounting position of the tires on the mining vehicle from the specifications and wear states of the respective tires mounted on the mining vehicle, and an output unit that outputs a proposal to adjust the internal pressure of each tire mounted on the mining vehicle to the recommended internal pressure calculated by the calculation unit.

[0007] The information processing device according to the second embodiment, in the information processing device according to the first embodiment, calculates, for each tire mounting position on the mining vehicle, the recommended internal pressure of the tire that maximizes the distance traveled per unit fuel consumption of the mining vehicle, or the distance traveled per unit fuel consumption and per unit load, based on the specifications and wear status of each tire mounted on the mining vehicle, as well as the actual internal pressure of the tire and the load applied to the tire.

[0008] The information processing device according to the third embodiment, in the information processing device according to the second embodiment, calculates the recommended internal pressure using the specifications, wear condition, actual internal pressure of the tires, and tire slip ratio calculated from the load applied to the tires of each tire mounted on the mining vehicle.

[0009] The information processing device according to the fourth embodiment, in the information processing device according to the third embodiment, calculates the tire slip ratio using, in addition to the specifications, wear condition, actual tire pressure, and load on each tire mounted on the mining vehicle, at least one of the slope of the road surface on which the mining vehicle travels, the hardness of the road surface, the heat generation characteristics of the rubber used in the tire, and the output characteristics of the mining vehicle.

[0010] The information processing device according to the fifth embodiment, in the information processing device according to the third or fourth embodiment, the calculation unit calculates the recommended internal pressure using the tire rolling resistance, which is further affected by changes in the internal pressure of the tire, in addition to the tire slip ratio.

[0011] The information processing device according to the sixth embodiment is an information processing device according to any one of the first to fifth embodiments, in which the calculation unit calculates the recommended internal pressure for each tire mounting position on the mining vehicle, taking into consideration the remaining durability of the tire.

[0012] The information processing device according to the seventh embodiment is an information processing device according to any one of the first to sixth embodiments, wherein the calculation unit further calculates the recommended internal pressure for each tire mounting position on the mining vehicle using at least one of the road surface conditions on the road on which the mining vehicle travels, weather information at the location on which the mining vehicle travels, and the load of the transported goods transported by the mining vehicle.

[0013] The information processing device according to the eighth embodiment is an information processing device according to any one of the first to seventh embodiments, comprising an estimation unit for estimating the route characteristics of the route on which the mining vehicle travels, and the calculation unit calculates the recommended internal pressure for each tire mounting position on the mining vehicle for each route on which the mining vehicle travels, using the route characteristics of the route on which the mining vehicle travels estimated by the estimation unit.

[0014] The information processing device according to the ninth embodiment, in the information processing device according to the eighth embodiment, further estimates the route characteristics of unregistered routes, which are routes other than the pre-registered routes on which the mining vehicle travels; the calculation unit uses the route characteristics of the registered routes and the route characteristics of the unregistered routes to calculate the recommended internal pressure for each tire mounting position on the mining vehicle for each registered route and each unregistered route; and calculates the route corresponding to the recommended internal pressure that is closest to the actual internal pressure of the tire at each mounting position on the mining vehicle among the calculated recommended internal pressures as the recommended route.

[0015] The information processing device according to the tenth embodiment is an information processing device according to the eighth embodiment in which the estimation unit estimates the route traveled by the mining vehicle from the dispatch information of the mining vehicle.

[0016] The information processing device according to the 11th embodiment is an information processing device according to any one of the first to tenth embodiments, comprising: an estimation unit that estimates the internal pressure adjustment time required to adjust the internal pressure of each tire to the recommended internal pressure from the difference between the recommended internal pressure and the actual internal pressure of each tire; and a generation unit that generates a work plan for the adjustment work based on the internal pressure adjustment time estimated by the estimation unit so that the adjustment work to adjust the internal pressure of the tires on each mining vehicle to the recommended internal pressure does not overlap in the workplace, and the output unit outputs the work plan for the adjustment work generated by the generation unit together with the proposal and the internal pressure adjustment time.

[0017] The information processing device according to the 12th embodiment, in the information processing device according to the 11th embodiment, calculates recommended tire specifications and recommended groove depths for each tire mounting position on the mining vehicle to maximize the distance traveled per unit fuel consumption of the mining vehicle, and calculates the recommended internal pressure from the recommended specifications and recommended groove depths. The output unit outputs the recommended specifications, the recommended groove depths, and the recommended internal pressures at the recommended specifications and recommended groove depths as tire replacement information for the mining vehicle.

[0018] The information processing device according to the 13th embodiment includes a calculation unit that calculates a recommended tire pressure for each tire mounting position on the mining vehicle that maximizes the distance traveled per unit fuel consumption of the mining vehicle, based on the specifications, standard internal pressure, and wear condition of each tire mounted on the mining vehicle, and an output unit that outputs a suggestion to adjust the internal pressure of each tire mounted on the mining vehicle to the recommended internal pressure calculated by the calculation unit.

[0019] The information processing program according to the 14th embodiment is a program that causes a computer to perform the following process: calculate the recommended internal pressure of the tires that maximizes the distance traveled per unit fuel consumption, or the distance traveled per unit fuel consumption and per unit load, for each tire mounting position on the mining vehicle, based on the specifications and wear condition of each tire mounted on the mining vehicle; and output a suggestion to adjust the internal pressure of each tire mounted on the mining vehicle to the calculated recommended internal pressure.

[0020] The information processing system according to the 15th embodiment includes an information processing device comprising: a calculation unit that calculates, for each tire mounting position on the mining vehicle, a recommended internal pressure for the tire that maximizes the distance traveled per unit fuel consumption of the mining vehicle, or the distance traveled per unit fuel consumption and per unit load, based on the specifications and wear condition of each tire mounted on the mining vehicle; an output unit that outputs a suggestion to adjust the internal pressure of each tire mounted on the mining vehicle to the recommended internal pressure calculated by the calculation unit; and a management device comprising: a reception unit that receives the suggestion output from the information processing device; and a display unit that displays the suggestion received by the reception unit for each mining vehicle.

[0021] The information processing system according to the 16th embodiment further comprises the output unit of the information processing device outputting the actual internal pressure of each tire mounted on the mining vehicle along with the suggestion, the receiving unit of the management device receiving the actual internal pressure of each tire along with the suggestion, the management device further comprising: an estimation unit that estimates the internal pressure adjustment time required to adjust the internal pressure of each tire to the recommended internal pressure for each mining vehicle from the difference between the recommended internal pressure and the actual internal pressure of each tire, a generation unit that generates a work plan for the adjustment work based on the internal pressure adjustment time estimated by the estimation unit so that the adjustment work to adjust the internal pressure of the tires on each mining vehicle to the recommended internal pressure does not overlap in the workplace, and a display unit that displays the work plan for the adjustment work generated by the generation unit.

[0022] The information processing system according to the 17th embodiment, in the information processing system according to the 16th embodiment, generates a combination of mining vehicles and the recommended route that maximizes the distance traveled per unit fuel consumption, or the distance traveled per unit fuel consumption and per unit load, for a plurality of mining vehicles, based on the recommended internal pressure of the tires mounted on each of the mining vehicles and the recommended route calculated by the calculation unit of the information processing device using the recommended internal pressure of each tire.

[0023] According to this disclosure, the fuel consumption of mining vehicles can be reduced by a method different from the method of controlling the operation of mining vehicles.

[0024] This figure shows an example of a mining vehicle. This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device according to the first embodiment. This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of the management device. This figure shows an example of the main components of the electrical system of the information processing device. This flowchart shows an example of the output processing flow according to the first embodiment. This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device according to the second embodiment. This flowchart shows an example of the output processing flow according to the second embodiment. This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device according to the third embodiment. This flowchart shows an example of the output processing flow according to the third embodiment. This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device according to the fourth embodiment. This flowchart shows an example of the output processing flow according to the fourth embodiment.

[0025] This embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings for the same components and processes, and redundant explanations are omitted. The dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for illustrative purposes and may differ from actual ratios.

[0026] <First Embodiment> Figure 1 shows an example of a vehicle traveling on a road (hereinafter referred to as "route") established in a mine, i.e., a mining vehicle 4. A mine is a place where ore existing underground is extracted. Therefore, a mine does not necessarily have to be a raised area like a mountain; even flat land where ore is extracted is called a mine. Furthermore, a mine does not refer to a limited area where ore is extracted using heavy machinery. For example, it refers to the entire site managed by an ore mining company for the purpose of ore extraction, including a collection area for the extracted ore, an ore processing plant, a rest area for the driver operating the mining vehicle 4, and a management building for managing the entire mine.

[0027] Mining vehicles 4 include various types such as shovels and wheel loaders. In this disclosure, mining vehicles 4 refer to all vehicles that travel along mine routes using the tires they are equipped with. Therefore, a dump truck that transports mined ore, as shown in Figure 1, is an example of a mining vehicle 4. Hereafter, mining vehicles 4 will be simply referred to as "vehicle 4".

[0028] Each tire wheel on the vehicle 4 is equipped with a sensor 2 for detecting the tire condition. There are no restrictions on the type of sensor 2 used to detect the tire condition, but as an example, let's assume that a sensor 2 that measures the tire temperature and internal pressure is installed on the wheel. Specifically, a TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) is used as the sensor 2.

[0029] Sensor 2 measures the tire temperature and internal pressure in real time, and the measured values ​​obtained by Sensor 2 are transmitted wirelessly to the information processing device 10A attached to the vehicle 4.

[0030] The information processing device 10A outputs a recommended internal pressure for each tire, using at least one of the following: the temperature and internal pressure of each tire measured by the sensor 2, the measured values ​​measured by, for example, the sensor unit 1H (see Figure 4) built into the device, and information acquired from other devices other than the information processing device 10A. The sensor unit 1H is a unit that measures, for example, the speed, acceleration, tilt, and position information of the vehicle 4 in real time.

[0031] Figure 2 shows an example of the functional configuration of an information processing device 10A that outputs the recommended internal pressure for each tire. The information processing device 10A includes an input unit 12, a calculation unit 14, and an output unit 16.

[0032] The input unit 12 receives the measured values ​​from the sensor 2. The input unit 12 also receives various information from the on-board device 4A installed in the vehicle 4 and the management device 7A installed in the control room 7 that manages the operation of the vehicle 4. Although not shown in the diagram, the input unit 12 also receives various measured values ​​measured by the sensor unit 1H.

[0033] The in-vehicle device 4A is a general term for external devices other than the information processing device 10A and sensor 2 installed in the vehicle 4. The in-vehicle device 4A includes information devices that input and output information between the driver and the vehicle 4, such as a car navigation system.

[0034] Furthermore, the management device 7A is a terminal used by the administrator who manages the vehicles 4. Figure 3 shows an example of the functional configuration of the management device 7A. The management device 7A includes a receiving unit 17 that receives information such as proposals output from the information processing device 10A, a display unit 18 that displays the information received by the receiving unit 17 for each vehicle 4, and a transmitting unit 19 that transmits information.

[0035] The administrator transmits instructions and various information to the information processing devices 10A of each vehicle 4 via the management device 7A, and also monitors the information received from the information processing devices 10A. In other words, the management device 7A stores information about each vehicle 4, and the administrator manages the operation of the entire vehicle system to ensure that each vehicle 4 runs according to plan, based on the information about each vehicle 4 stored in the management device 7A and the vehicle dispatch information determined by the administrator.

[0036] The calculation unit 14 in Figure 2 calculates the recommended internal pressure for each tire based on the specifications and wear status of each tire mounted on the vehicle 4.

[0037] Tire specifications refer to information describing the physical characteristics of a new tire that affect the vehicle's fuel efficiency, and are typically listed in tire catalogs. Examples of tire specifications include tire diameter, tire width, tire aspect ratio, rolling resistance, tire weight, and tire tread pattern. Note that tire rolling resistance is affected by changes in tire pressure.

[0038] The tire specifications are managed, for example, in the management device 7A, for each vehicle 4 and for each tire mounted on each vehicle 4.

[0039] Wear condition is a quantitative value that measures the wear on the surface of a tire's tread. The depth of the grooves etched into the tread is one example of an indicator value that represents the wear condition.

[0040] The tire wear status is acquired in advance, for example, by actual measurement by a mechanic of vehicle 4, and by known image recognition that recognizes the wear status from images of the tires, and is managed for each tire of each vehicle 4 by a management device 7A. However, if unused tires are mounted on vehicle 4, it is clear that there is no wear on the tires, even without actual measurement by a mechanic or image recognition using images. In such cases, the tire wear status should be set to a value that indicates no wear, for example, the tread depth of a new tire.

[0041] The tire specifications and wear status for each vehicle 4 are transmitted, for example, from the management device 7A to the information processing device 10A, but the mechanic of each vehicle 4 may also input this information for each vehicle 4 from the input unit 1G (see Figure 4) of the information processing device 10A. The tire specifications and wear status are just one example of the various types of information related to each vehicle 4.

[0042] On the other hand, the recommended internal pressure is a desirable value as the internal pressure of the tire, that is, the target value of the internal pressure of the tire. The calculation unit 14 calculates, for each mounting position of the tire on the vehicle 4, the internal pressure of the tire that maximizes the driving distance per unit fuel consumption or the unit fuel consumption of the vehicle 4, and the driving distance per unit payload as the recommended internal pressure. For the sake of convenience of explanation, hereinafter, the driving distance per unit fuel consumption or the unit fuel consumption, and the driving distance per unit payload of the vehicle 4 may be collectively referred to simply as the "fuel consumption driving distance" of the vehicle 4.

[0043] In the present disclosure, there is no restriction on the type of fuel used in the vehicle 4. Therefore, for the fuel of the vehicle 4, for example, in addition to fossil fuels such as gasoline, light oil, and natural gas, electricity or hydrogen may also be used. Therefore, the driving distance per unit fuel consumption includes the concept of fuel consumption driving distance based on power consumption, such as the driving distance per 1 kW of electric power, so-called "electricity cost". Thus, the fuel consumption in the present disclosure includes power consumption.

[0044] Note that the recommended internal pressure of the tire changes depending on, for example, the driving tendency of the driver, the situation of the route on which the vehicle 4 travels, the mounting position of the tire, and the wear state of the tire. The specific method for calculating the recommended internal pressure of the tire in the calculation unit 14 will be described in detail later.

[0045] The output unit 16 outputs a proposal to recommend adjusting the internal pressure of each tire mounted on the vehicle 4 to the recommended internal pressure calculated by the calculation unit 14 to at least one of the in-vehicle device 4A and the management device 7A.

[0046] Note that a system including the in-vehicle device 4A, the management device 7A, and the information processing device 10A is referred to as an information processing system 100.

[0047] The information processing device 10A having the functional configuration shown in FIG. 2 is configured using, for example, a computer 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a main configuration example of the electrical system of the information processing device 10A configured using the computer 1.

[0048] The computer 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 1A which is an example of a processor, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 1B used as a temporary working area of the CPU 1A, a non-volatile memory 1C, and an input / output interface (I / O) 1D. The CPU 1A, the RAM 1B, the non-volatile memory 1C, and the I / O 1D are respectively connected via a bus 1E to transfer data.

[0049] The CPU 1A reads, for example, an information processing program stored in the non-volatile memory 1C and executes the processing of each functional unit in the information processing apparatus 10A shown in FIG. 2.

[0050] The non-volatile memory 1C is an example of a storage device that maintains the stored information even when the power supplied to the non-volatile memory 1C is cut off. For example, a semiconductor memory (Solid State Drive: SSD) is used. Information such as an information processing program that would be troublesome to disappear every time the power of the information processing apparatus 10A is turned off is stored in the non-volatile memory 1C. Note that the non-volatile memory 1C does not necessarily have to be built into the computer 1 and may be, for example, a portable storage device detachable from the computer 1.

[0051] On the other hand, for example, a communication unit 1F, an input unit 1G, and a sensor unit 1H are connected to the I / O 1D.

[0052] The communication unit 1F is connected to a communication line (not shown) and has a communication protocol for transmitting and receiving data to and from an external device connected to the communication line. For example, the communication unit 1F is wirelessly connected to the sensor 2, the in-vehicle device 4A, and the management device 7A.

[0053] The input unit 1G is a device that receives information from a user and notifies the CPU 1A, and includes, for example, buttons and a touch panel. A user is an operator who operates the information processing apparatus 10A. Therefore, users include, for example, a driver of the vehicle 4, a mechanic of the vehicle 4, and an administrator who manages the overall operation of the vehicle 4.

[0054] Sensor unit 1H is a group of sensors that measure the state of vehicle 4, for example, measuring the vehicle's speed, acceleration, tilt, position information, outside temperature, humidity, load, etc., in real time. The load is the total weight of the goods loaded on the vehicle's cargo bed. GPS (Global Positioning System) is used to measure the vehicle's position information.

[0055] Furthermore, the sensor unit 1H may also photograph the road surface with a camera and measure the road surface condition, which is represented by at least one of the following: the degree of wetness of the road surface, such as whether it is dry or wet, and the degree of roughness of the road surface, such as whether it is uneven with rocks rolling around or flat.

[0056] The units connected to I / O 1D are selected as needed. Therefore, the communication unit 1F, input unit 1G, and sensor unit 1H are not necessarily connected to I / O 1D. Also, for example, a display unit (not shown) that displays information processed by the CPU 1A externally may be connected to I / O 1D.

[0057] Next, the operation of the information processing device 10A will be explained. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the output processing flow executed by the CPU 1A of the information processing device 10A when an output instruction for the recommended internal pressure is received. The CPU 1A of the information processing device 10A reads the information processing program stored in the non-volatile memory 1C and executes the output processing.

[0058] There are no restrictions on the timing of the output processing; the CPU 10A may execute it according to a predetermined schedule, such as every six hours or every day, or it may execute it at any time instructed by the user.

[0059] In step S10 of Figure 5, the CPU 1A acquires the tire specifications and wear status at each mounting position. For example, the CPU 1A acquires the tire specifications and wear status from the management device 7A. If the tire specifications and wear status are stored in the non-volatile memory 1C beforehand, the CPU 1A may acquire the respective information from the non-volatile memory 1C.

[0060] In step S20, the CPU 1A uses the tire specifications and wear status for each mounting position obtained in step S10 to calculate the recommended internal pressure for each tire mounting position.

[0061] For example, vehicle 4 is often rear-wheel drive. Therefore, the tires mounted on the front axle of vehicle 4 can maximize fuel-efficient driving range if they have low rolling resistance. To reduce tire rolling resistance, the contact area of ​​the tire with the road surface can be reduced, which can be achieved by increasing the internal pressure of the tire.

[0062] Conversely, since the tires mounted on the rear axle of vehicle 4 generate driving force, suppressing tire slippage, i.e., preventing the rotation of the rear axle from being efficiently converted into driving force, can maximize fuel-efficient driving range. To suppress slippage, the contact area of ​​the tire with the road surface should be increased, which can be achieved by lowering the internal pressure of the tire. Needless to say, if the vehicle is front-wheel drive, the internal pressure of the tires mounted on the front axle of vehicle 4 should be lowered, and the internal pressure of the tires mounted on the rear axle of vehicle 4 should be increased.

[0063] Furthermore, even for tires mounted on the same front or rear axle, the recommended tire pressure differs depending on the tire's specifications, such as the tread pattern and tire diameter.

[0064] Furthermore, even with tires of the same specifications, the recommended tire pressure will differ depending on the depth of the tire tread. For example, when the tire is relatively worn, a higher pressure will prevent the tire from slipping. However, as the tire wears down and the tread depth decreases, the tire's grip decreases, making it more prone to slipping. Therefore, as the tire tread depth decreases, lowering the tire pressure can suppress slipping and maximize fuel-efficient driving range.

[0065] Therefore, for each tire's mounting position, CPU 1A calculates the optimal internal pressure that maximizes fuel-efficient driving distance from various combinations of tire specifications and wear conditions, and determines this as the recommended internal pressure for the tire.

[0066] Specifically, CPU 1A may calculate the recommended internal pressure of a tire using a correspondence table that pre-associates recommended internal pressures for various combinations of tire mounting position, tire specifications, and wear condition.

[0067] Alternatively, CPU 1A may pre-prepare a function that uses the tire mounting position, tire specifications, and wear condition as explanatory variables and the recommended internal pressure as the objective variable, and calculate the recommended internal pressure of the tire by inputting the tire mounting position, the tire specifications obtained through the processing in step S10, and the wear condition into this function.

[0068] Alternatively, CPU 1A may calculate the recommended tire pressure using a pre-machine-learned model for estimating recommended tire pressure, which outputs the recommended tire pressure when the tire mounting position, tire specifications, and wear condition are input.

[0069] In step S30 of Figure 5, the CPU 1A outputs the recommended internal pressure calculated by the processing in step S20 for each tire at each mounting position to at least one of the on-board device 4A and the management device 7A via the communication unit 1F. The output of the recommended internal pressure is an example of a proposed configuration that suggests adjusting the tire's internal pressure to the recommended internal pressure.

[0070] The driver of vehicle 4, upon receiving notification of the recommended tire pressure, should contact a mechanic to adjust the tire pressure to the recommended level at the next refueling or rest stop. Similarly, the administrator, upon receiving notification of the recommended tire pressure via the management device 7A, should contact the driver of vehicle 4 or the mechanic of vehicle 4 to adjust the tire pressure to the recommended level. This completes the output processing shown in Figure 5.

[0071] The information used by the information processing device 10A to calculate the recommended tire pressure is not limited to the tire specifications and wear status at each mounting position. The information processing device 10A may also use the actual tire pressure and the load on the tire, in addition to the tire specifications and wear status, to calculate the recommended tire pressure at each mounting position that maximizes fuel-efficient driving distance.

[0072] Furthermore, once the specifications, wear condition, actual tire pressure, and load on each tire are obtained, the tire slip ratio can be calculated. Generally, the tire slip ratio is calculated by dividing the difference between the vehicle speed and the tire rotation speed by the vehicle speed. However, there is a correlation between the tire slip ratio and values ​​related to the tire specifications, wear condition, actual tire pressure, and load on the tire. Therefore, CPU 1A calculates the tire slip ratio for each tire using a correspondence table that associates the tire slip ratio with combinations of tire specifications, wear condition, actual tire pressure, and load on the tire.

[0073] This tire slip ratio can be calculated using at least one of the following factors in addition to the tire specifications, wear condition, actual tire pressure, and load on the tire: the slope of the road surface on which the vehicle 4 travels, the hardness of the road surface 4, the heat generation characteristics of the rubber used in the tire, and the power output characteristics of the vehicle 4. The more factors used in calculating the tire slip ratio, the more accurate the calculated tire slip ratio becomes.

[0074] On the other hand, a correlation can also be observed between the tire slip ratio and the recommended tire pressure. Therefore, CPU 1A may, for example, use a correspondence table that associates the recommended tire pressure with the tire slip ratio to calculate the recommended tire pressure for each mounting position that maximizes fuel-efficient driving distance. Similar to the tire slip ratio, the more factors used in the calculation of the recommended tire pressure, the more accurate the calculated recommended tire pressure becomes. Therefore, it is preferable for CPU 1A to calculate the recommended tire pressure by considering the rolling resistance of the tire in addition to the tire slip ratio.

[0075] Lowering tire pressure increases rolling resistance, while increasing tire pressure decreases rolling resistance. Increased rolling resistance worsens fuel efficiency. Therefore, CPU 1A calculates the recommended tire pressure for each mounting position that maximizes fuel-efficient driving distance, taking into account the balance between tire slip ratio and tire rolling resistance.

[0076] Furthermore, CPU 1A may calculate the recommended internal pressure of the tires at each mounting position using at least one of the following: the road surface conditions on which the vehicle 4 travels, weather information at the location where the vehicle 4 travels, and the load of the goods transported by the vehicle 4.

[0077] For example, when the road surface is wet, the friction force of the tires is reduced compared to when it is dry. Therefore, the wetter the road surface, the more beneficial it is to lower the tire pressure, as this increases the contact area of ​​the tire and makes it less likely to slip. Consequently, this can maximize fuel-efficient driving range.

[0078] For similar reasons, it is preferable to lower the tire pressure when it is raining at the location where vehicle 4 is traveling compared to when it is sunny. Also, the lower the temperature at the location where vehicle 4 is traveling, the greater the risk of the road surface freezing, so it is preferable to lower the tire pressure. Weather and temperature are examples of meteorological information. For example, even if it is not raining at the time the recommended tire pressure is calculated, if there is a forecast for rain or a forecast for a drop in temperature, the information processing device 10A may calculate a recommended tire pressure that is appropriate for the weather conditions that are expected to occur.

[0079] Furthermore, the lighter the load of the transported goods, the lighter the load on each tire, and the smaller the contact area of ​​the tires. Therefore, the lighter the load of the transported goods, the lower the internal pressure of the tires can be. This is because if the internal pressure of the tires is lowered too much, the contact surface of the tires will collapse, reducing water drainage and making the tires more susceptible to damage due to deformation, which can negatively affect the durability of the tires. When the load of the transported goods is light, the amount of tire deformation is smaller compared to when the load of the transported goods is heavy. Therefore, the lighter the load of the transported goods, the greater the amount of reduction in internal pressure of the tires can be, while still avoiding drainage problems and damage to the tires.

[0080] CPU 1A can calculate the recommended internal pressure for each mounting position using a correspondence table that pre-associates recommended internal pressures for various combinations of tire mounting position, tire specifications, wear condition, road surface conditions, weather information, and the load of the transported goods. Of course, CPU 1A may also calculate the recommended internal pressure for the tire using a function to calculate the recommended internal pressure and an estimation model that outputs the recommended internal pressure.

[0081] Furthermore, if the calculated recommended internal pressure results in a reduction in tire internal pressure, lowering the tire's contact area will increase, distributing the tire's contact pressure and driving force. Therefore, it can be expected that this will reduce the amount of road surface abrasion caused by the tires of the moving vehicle 4, thus preventing the road surface from becoming uneven. In addition, the increased tire contact area will also improve the driving stability of the vehicle 4.

[0082] <Modification of the First Embodiment> As described above, if the internal pressure of a tire is lowered too much, the amount of deformation of the tire increases, which can reduce the durability of the tire. In other words, the recommended internal pressure of a tire is affected by the remaining durability of the tire. The remaining durability of a tire is represented, for example, by at least one of the remaining distance and remaining time that the tire can continue to drive without any problems occurring. Therefore, when the CPU 1A calculates the recommended internal pressure of a tire by the process in step S20 of Figure 5, it is preferable to calculate the recommended internal pressure of a tire for each tire, taking into account the remaining durability of the tire at each mounting position. For example, the CPU 1A may calculate the recommended internal pressure of a tire for each tire so that the decrease in remaining durability falls within a predetermined allowable range. A decrease in the remaining durability of a tire means that the remaining distance or remaining time of the tire becomes shorter than the remaining distance or remaining time of the tire at the internal pressure before adjusting to the recommended internal pressure.

[0083] Furthermore, CPU 1A may calculate the recommended internal pressure for each tire so that the remaining durability of the tire at each mounting position is ensured to be above a threshold.

[0084] Since the remaining durability of a tire is affected by the tire temperature, the CPU 1A calculates the remaining durability of the tire at each mounting position before changing the internal pressure to the recommended internal pressure, for example, from the temperature history of each tire measured by the sensor 2. The CPU 1A calculates how the remaining durability of the tire will change by changing the current internal pressure of the tire, based on the expected temperature change of the tire when the vehicle 4 is driven at a predetermined speed after changing the internal pressure to the recommended internal pressure, and identifies a recommended internal pressure that will yield a remaining durability that satisfies predetermined conditions.

[0085] As described above, the information processing device 10A according to the first embodiment calculates the recommended internal pressure of the tire for each mounting position using the tire specifications and wear condition for each mounting position. In this case, it is preferable that the information processing device 10A calculates the recommended internal pressure of the tire by also considering the actual internal pressure of the tire and the load on the tire. Alternatively, the information processing device 10A may calculate the tire slip ratio from the tire specifications, wear condition, actual internal pressure of the tire, and load on the tire for each mounting position, and then calculate the recommended internal pressure of the tire from the calculated tire slip ratio. Furthermore, the rolling resistance of the tire may be added as an element used to calculate the tire slip ratio. In calculating the recommended internal pressure of the tire, the information processing device 10A may further calculate the recommended internal pressure of the tire for each mounting position by using at least one of the road surface conditions on which the vehicle 4 travels, weather information at the location where the vehicle 4 travels, and the load of the goods transported by the vehicle 4. In this case, it is preferable that the information processing device 10A calculates the recommended internal pressure of the tire for each tire mounting position, taking into account the remaining durability of the tire at each mounting position.

[0086] <Second Embodiment> In a mine, vehicle 4 moves to various locations such as ore loading areas, ore unloading areas, refueling stations, and rest areas. Furthermore, there may be multiple routes to the same location. In other words, vehicle 4 does not travel only on one predetermined route, but travels on various routes.

[0087] If the route taken by vehicle 4 is different, the physical characteristics of the route (hereinafter referred to as "route characteristics") will also be different, such as the distance from the starting point to the ending point of the route, the length of the flat road, the length of the ramp, the angle of inclination on each ramp, the amount of curve, and the road surface composition, such as whether the road surface is sand or rock.

[0088] In the second embodiment, an information processing device 10B will be described that calculates the recommended internal pressure for each tire mounting position on the vehicle 4 for each route the vehicle 4 travels, using the route characteristics for each route the vehicle 4 travels.

[0089] Figure 6 shows an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 10B according to the second embodiment. The difference between the functional configuration of the information processing device 10B shown in Figure 6 and the functional configuration of the information processing device 10A according to the first embodiment shown in Figure 2 is that the input unit 12 is replaced by the input unit 12A, and an estimation unit 13 is added.

[0090] The input unit 12A receives information such as the vehicle's speed, acceleration, tilt, position, ambient temperature, humidity, and load from the sensor unit 1H, as well as the tire temperature and internal pressure from the sensor 2. The input unit 12 also receives, for example, map information of the mine showing the vehicle's route from the management device 7A. The measured values ​​measured by the sensor 2 and sensor unit 1H are examples of various information related to the vehicle 4, and the mine map information is an example of various information related to the mine environment.

[0091] The input unit 12A identifies the route that vehicle 4 is traveling based on the mine map information and the location information of vehicle 4, and stores the various information received for each route.

[0092] The estimation unit 13 estimates the route characteristics for each route from the various information accumulated. For example, the distance of the route is estimated from the map information of the mine. For example, the gradient of the route is estimated from the inclination of the vehicle 4. For example, the amount of curvature of the route is estimated from the direction of acceleration, the magnitude of acceleration, and the speed of the vehicle 4. For example, the degree of unevenness of the road surface, i.e., the road surface configuration, is estimated from the amount of vibration obtained from the change in acceleration and the change in tire temperature.

[0093] When calculating the recommended tire pressure for each mounting position, the calculation unit 14 adds the route characteristics of the route the vehicle 4 travels, estimated by the estimation unit 13, to the various information shown in the first embodiment to calculate the recommended tire pressure.

[0094] The information processing device 10B, having the functional configuration shown in Figure 6, is configured, similarly to the information processing device 10A, using, for example, the computer 1 shown in Figure 4.

[0095] Next, the operation of the information processing device 10B will be explained. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the output processing flow executed by the CPU 1A of the information processing device 10B when an output instruction for the recommended internal pressure is received. The CPU 1A of the information processing device 10B reads the information processing program stored in the non-volatile memory 1C and executes the output processing.

[0096] The information processing device 10B receives various types of information used for estimating route characteristics from the sensor 2, the sensor unit 1H, and the management device 7A, and the received information is stored in the non-volatile memory 1C of the information processing device 10B in association with the route.

[0097] The route that vehicle 4 will travel is registered by the driver in the onboard device 4A, or by the administrator in the management device 7A.

[0098] Therefore, in step S100, the CPU 1A obtains the route that the vehicle 4 will travel from the onboard device 4A or the management device 7A.

[0099] In step S110, the CPU 1A estimates the route characteristics of the route traveled by the vehicle 4 from various pieces of information used to estimate route characteristics, which are associated with the route obtained in the processing of step S100.

[0100] In step S120, the CPU 1A calculates the recommended tire pressure by adding the route characteristics of the route that the vehicle 4 will travel, which were estimated by the processing in step S110, to the various information used to calculate the recommended tire pressure shown in the first embodiment.

[0101] For example, on a slope, lowering the tire pressure to reduce tire slippage can maximize fuel-efficient driving distance. On the other hand, on a flat surface, increasing the tire pressure to reduce tire rolling resistance can maximize driving distance per unit of fuel consumption. Therefore, the CPU 1A calculates, for example, the ratio of sloped sections to flat sections in the route traveled by the vehicle 4 from the route characteristics, and calculates the recommended tire pressure that maximizes fuel-efficient driving distance based on the calculated ratio, by combining it with various information used to calculate the recommended tire pressure as shown in the first embodiment, such as tire specifications and wear condition.

[0102] Furthermore, the longer the distance of the route traveled by vehicle 4, the longer the tire deformation time, and the greater the degree of unevenness of the route, the greater the amount of tire deformation. Therefore, considering the durability of the tire, it is preferable to reduce the amount of reduction in the tire's internal pressure. Accordingly, CPU 1A may calculate, for example, the recommended internal pressure of the tire that maximizes fuel-efficient driving distance, based on the distance of the route traveled by vehicle 4 and the degree of unevenness of the road surface, by combining this with various information used to calculate the recommended internal pressure of the tire as shown in the first embodiment, such as the tire's specifications and wear condition.

[0103] As described in the first embodiment, the recommended internal pressure of a tire can be calculated using, for example, a correspondence table, a function, and an estimation model.

[0104] In this way, CPU 1A calculates a recommended internal pressure for each tire at each mounting position, taking into account the route characteristics of the route that vehicle 4 will travel.

[0105] In step S130, the CPU 1A outputs the recommended internal pressure calculated in step S120 for each tire at each mounting position to at least one of the in-vehicle device 4A and the management device 7A via the communication unit 1F. This completes the output processing shown in Figure 7.

[0106] In the output processing shown in Figure 7, the CPU 1A obtains the route registered by the driver or administrator from the in-vehicle device 4A or management device as the route that the vehicle 4 will travel.

[0107] Meanwhile, in the mine, managers create plans to improve the economic efficiency of the vehicles 4. These plans determine which vehicles 4 should be sent to which loading locations at what times and in what quantities, so that the waiting time for the vehicles 4 is minimized and the planned amount of ore can be transported with the fewest number of vehicles. These plans are called "vehicle dispatch information."

[0108] If the dispatch information is known, the destination of vehicle 4 can be determined, and therefore it is possible to determine which route vehicle 4 should take and at what speed to arrive at the specified destination at the specified time. Thus, CPU 1A can also estimate the route that vehicle 4 will take from the dispatch information.

[0109] For the reasons stated above, in step S100 of Figure 7, the CPU 1A may acquire dispatch information from the management device 7A instead of acquiring the route that the vehicle 4 will travel.

[0110] In this case, in step S110 of Figure 7, the CPU 1A estimates the route that vehicle 4 will travel from the dispatch information, and then estimates the route characteristics of the route that vehicle 4 will travel from various pieces of information used to estimate route characteristics that are associated with the estimated route.

[0111] In step S120 of Figure 7, the CPU 1A calculates the recommended internal pressure of the tire at each mounting position along the estimated route, using various information used to calculate the recommended internal pressure of the tire as shown in the first embodiment and the route characteristics of the route on which the vehicle 4 travels. Specifically, the CPU 1A comprehensively judges the balance of internal pressure in line with the route characteristics, such as the improvement in fuel efficiency when slippage on inclines is suppressed by lowering the internal pressure, and the improvement in fuel efficiency when rolling resistance on flat roads is reduced by increasing the internal pressure, and calculates the recommended internal pressure of the tire.

[0112] As described above, the information processing device 10B according to the second embodiment adds the route characteristics of the route the vehicle 4 travels to the various information used to calculate the recommended internal pressure of the tire shown in the first embodiment, and outputs the recommended internal pressure of the tire at each mounting position for each route.

[0113] Furthermore, even if a route for vehicle 4 is registered, the information processing device 10B may recognize the destination of the registered route as dispatch information and estimate the route that vehicle 4 will travel. In this case, it may be possible to maximize fuel-efficient driving distance by traveling on a route other than the registered route (hereinafter referred to as the "unregistered route") rather than traveling on the registered route. Therefore, the route that vehicle 4 travels may be either a registered route or an unregistered route. In step S110 of the output processing in Figure 7, the CPU 1A estimates the route characteristics of the unregistered route from various information on the unregistered route, in addition to the route characteristics of the registered route. Then, in step S120, the CPU 1A may add the route characteristics of the registered route and the route characteristics of the unregistered route to the various information used to calculate the recommended tire pressure shown in the first embodiment, and calculate the recommended tire pressure for each route.

[0114] Furthermore, CPU 1A calculates the recommended route for vehicle 4, which corresponds to the recommended tire pressure closest to the actual tire pressure of vehicle 4, from among the recommended tire pressures calculated for each route. The recommended tire pressure closest to the actual tire pressure of vehicle 4 is, for example, the recommended tire pressure that minimizes the sum of the differences between the actual tire pressure and the recommended tire pressure at each mounting position. In this case, in step S130, CPU 1A outputs the recommended route for vehicle 4 along with the recommended tire pressure for each mounting position.

[0115] The management device 7A, having received the recommended tire pressure and recommended route for each vehicle 4, selects the vehicle 4 that will achieve the maximum fuel-efficient driving distance when traveling to the registered route destination, based on the recommended tire pressure and route for each vehicle 4. In other words, the management device 7A generates a combination of the vehicle 4 that achieves the maximum fuel-efficient driving distance to the registered route destination and the recommended route. This generation of vehicle 4 and recommended route combinations is performed by the generation unit (not shown) of the management device 7A. By having the vehicle 4 selected in this manner travel along the corresponding recommended route from among multiple vehicles 4 traveling in the mine, the vehicles 4 can be driven most efficiently. Moreover, since the recommended tire pressure on the recommended route is close to the actual tire pressure of the selected vehicle 4, the effort of adjusting the tire pressure can be eliminated. Therefore, the management device 7A can generate the most efficient vehicle dispatch information.

[0116] <Third Implementation Configuration> When the information processing device 10A or information processing device 10B outputs a recommended internal pressure, the driver directs the vehicle 4 to a workplace that adjusts tire internal pressure, such as a gas station or repair shop, in order to adjust the internal pressure of the tires at each mounting position to the recommended internal pressure. However, if many vehicles 4 are concentrated at the workplace at the same time, a waiting time will occur until the internal pressure adjustment of the tires on other vehicles 4 is completed, which may reduce the utilization rate of the vehicles 4.

[0117] Therefore, in the third embodiment, we will describe an information processing device 10C that outputs information to reduce the waiting time for adjusting the internal pressure of tires in the workshop.

[0118] Figure 8 shows an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 10C. The difference between the functional configuration of the information processing device 10C shown in Figure 8 and the functional configuration of the information processing device 10A according to the first embodiment shown in Figure 2 is that the output unit 16 is replaced by an output unit 16A, and an estimation unit 13A and a generation unit 15 are added.

[0119] The estimation unit 13A estimates the internal pressure adjustment time required to adjust the internal pressure of the tire to the recommended internal pressure, for each tire at each mounting position, based on the difference between the recommended internal pressure of the tire calculated by the calculation unit 14 and the actual internal pressure of the tire measured by the sensor 2.

[0120] The generation unit 15 generates a work plan for tire pressure adjustment work based on the tire pressure adjustment time estimated by the estimation unit 13A, so that the adjustment work of adjusting the tire pressure to the recommended pressure does not overlap in the workshop. Specifically, the generation unit 15 determines the time period during which the tire pressure adjustment work will be performed so that it does not overlap with the tire pressure adjustment work of other vehicles 4.

[0121] The output unit 16A outputs the work plan for the internal pressure adjustment operation generated by the generation unit 15, along with the recommended internal pressure of the tire at each mounting position calculated by the calculation unit 14.

[0122] The information processing device 10C, having the functional configuration shown in Figure 8, is configured, similarly to the information processing device 10A, using, for example, the computer 1 shown in Figure 4.

[0123] Next, the operation of the information processing device 10C will be explained. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the output processing flow executed by the CPU 1A of the information processing device 10C when an output instruction for the recommended internal pressure is received. The CPU 1A of the information processing device 10C reads the information processing program stored in the non-volatile memory 1C and executes the output processing.

[0124] As already explained, when calculating the recommended tire pressure, various information may be used, including the tire specifications and wear status for each mounting position, as well as the remaining durability of the tire and weather information. For the sake of explanation, the third embodiment will describe an example in which the information processing device 10C calculates the recommended tire pressure using the tire specifications and wear status for each mounting position.

[0125] In step S200, CPU 1A acquires the tire specifications and wear status at each mounting position, similar to the process in step S10 shown in Figure 5.

[0126] In step S210, the CPU 1A calculates the recommended internal pressure for each tire mounting position, using the tire specifications and wear status for each mounting position obtained in step S200, similar to the process in step S20 shown in Figure 5.

[0127] In step S220, the CPU 1A obtains the current internal pressure of the tire at each mounting position from the sensor 2. The actual internal pressure of the tire measured by the sensor 2 is called the "actual internal pressure".

[0128] In step S230, CPU 1A calculates the difference between the recommended internal pressure calculated in step S210 and the actual internal pressure obtained in step S220 for each tire at each mounting position. The difference between the recommended internal pressure and the actual internal pressure is called the "internal pressure difference".

[0129] If the unit pressure adjustment time required to change the internal pressure of one tire by a unit pressure using a tire pressure adjustment device (for example, the time required to change the internal pressure of a tire by 1 kPa) is known, then the internal pressure adjustment time required to adjust the internal pressure of all tires on vehicle 4 to the recommended internal pressure can be obtained from the internal pressure difference of each tire.

[0130] Therefore, in step S240, the CPU 1A estimates the internal pressure adjustment time from the internal pressure difference and internal pressure unit adjustment time for each tire calculated in the processing of step S230. The internal pressure unit adjustment time can be stored in advance in the non-volatile memory 1C.

[0131] In step S250, the CPU 1A obtains a work plan for each workshop from the management device 7A, which indicates the time period during which other vehicles 4 will perform internal pressure adjustment work.

[0132] In step S260, the CPU 1A generates a work plan that assigns the internal pressure adjustment work for its own vehicle 4 to a time slot that does not overlap with the time slots for internal pressure adjustment work on other vehicles 4. In this case, it is preferable that the CPU 1A generates the work plan by selecting a time slot and workplace that allows the internal pressure adjustment work to be performed as early as possible and as close to vehicle 4 as possible.

[0133] In step S270, the CPU 1A outputs the work plan for the internal pressure adjustment operation generated by the processing in step S260, along with the recommended internal pressure of the tire at each mounting position calculated by the processing in step S210, to the management device 7A. Naturally, the CPU 1A may also output the work plan for the internal pressure adjustment operation and the recommended internal pressure of the tire to the on-board device 4A. With this, the output processing shown in Figure 9 is completed.

[0134] The management device 7A, having received the work plan for the internal pressure adjustment work from the information processing device 10C, stores the updated work plan in its storage device. In other words, the management device 7A centrally manages the latest work plans for internal pressure adjustment work for each workshop. Therefore, it is guaranteed that the workshop-specific work plans acquired by the information processing device 10C through the processing in step S250 are the latest work plans that reflect the time slots for the internal pressure adjustment work of each vehicle 4. The information processing device 10C can reserve the internal pressure adjustment work by adding the time slots for the internal pressure adjustment work to the latest work plan.

[0135] In addition, the CPU 1A of the information processing device 10C may, after calculating the internal pressure difference for each tire at each mounting position by the processing in step S230, execute the processing in step S270 without performing the processing in steps S240 to S260. In this case, in step S270, the CPU 1A outputs only the recommended internal pressure for each tire at each mounting position calculated by the processing in step S210.

[0136] On the other hand, the estimation of internal pressure adjustment time and the generation of the work plan, which were performed by the information processing device 10C, are carried out by the management device 7A. Therefore, in addition to the example of functional configuration shown in Figure 3, the management device 7A further includes, for example, an estimation unit 13A and a generation unit 15 instead of the information processing device 10C (not shown).

[0137] The estimation unit 13A of the management device 7A, which receives the internal pressure difference from the information processing device 10C, estimates the internal pressure adjustment time from the internal pressure difference and the unit adjustment time for each tire. The generation unit 15 of the management device 7A refers to the work plan for internal pressure adjustment work for each workshop stored in the storage device and generates a work plan that assigns the new internal pressure adjustment work for vehicle 4 to a time slot that does not overlap with the time slots for internal pressure adjustment work of other vehicles 4.

[0138] The control device 7A transmits the internal pressure adjustment time and the work plan for the internal pressure adjustment work to the in-vehicle device 4A via the information processing device 10C, which is the source of the internal pressure difference transmission. This allows the driver to know the location and time of the work area where the internal pressure adjustment work will be performed.

[0139] Thus, the work plan for the internal pressure adjustment operation may be generated by either the information processing device 10C or the management device 7A.

[0140] Furthermore, the estimation unit 13A shown in Figure 8 may be modified to include the functions of the estimation unit 13 of the information processing device 10B shown in Figure 6. Specifically, the information processing device 10C estimates the recommended internal pressure for each tire for each route the vehicle 4 will travel, and estimates the internal pressure adjustment time to adjust the tire's internal pressure to the recommended internal pressure suitable for the route to be traveled, based on the internal pressure difference between the estimated recommended internal pressure and the actual internal pressure. Then, the information processing device 10C generates a work plan for the internal pressure adjustment work to adjust the tire's internal pressure to the recommended internal pressure. As described above, the work plan for the internal pressure adjustment work associated with a change in the route the vehicle 4 will travel may be generated by the management device 7A.

[0141] <Fourth Embodiment> Up to this point, we have described an example in which the internal tire pressure that maximizes fuel-efficient driving distance is output as the recommended internal pressure. As a result, internal pressure adjustment work is performed in the workshop to adjust the internal tire pressure to the recommended internal pressure. However, depending on the wear condition of the tires, the mounting position of the tires may be changed by tire rotation. Also, for example, tires whose remaining durability has fallen below a specified amount may be replaced.

[0142] In such cases, in the past, considering driver safety, new tires were often mounted on the front axle, which is closer to the driver's seat, while worn tires were moved to the rear axle. However, if worn tires are mounted on the rear axle of a rear-wheel-drive vehicle 4, slippage is more likely to occur in the rear wheels, and the rotation of the rear axle is not efficiently converted into driving force, which can shorten the fuel-efficient driving range.

[0143] In other words, until now, when changing or rotating tires, the economic efficiency of determining which tires to install and in which position on the vehicle 4 to maximize fuel-efficient driving range was not considered. Furthermore, even if a mechanic tries to change or rotate tires while considering economic efficiency, they have to rely on experience and intuition to determine which tires to install and in which position on the vehicle 4, and they are not always able to make the correct choice.

[0144] Therefore, in the fourth embodiment, we will describe an information processing device 10D that outputs replacement information for replacing tires with tires suitable for each mounting position, along with the recommended internal pressure for each tire.

[0145] Figure 10 shows an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 10D. The difference between the functional configuration of the information processing device 10D shown in Figure 10 and the functional configuration of the information processing device 10A according to the first embodiment shown in Figure 2 is that the calculation unit 14 is replaced by the calculation unit 14A, and the output unit 16 is replaced by the output unit 16B.

[0146] The calculation unit 14A calculates the recommended tire specifications and recommended tire groove depth to maximize the fuel-efficient driving range of the vehicle 4, using various information about the vehicle 4 and the mining environment received from the sensor 2, sensor unit 1H, and management device 7A for each tire mounting position of the vehicle 4. The calculation unit 14A also calculates the recommended tire pressure for each mounting position using at least the calculated recommended tire specifications and the calculated recommended tire groove depth.

[0147] The output unit 16B outputs the recommended tire specifications, recommended tire groove depth, and recommended tire internal pressure for each mounting position, calculated by the calculation unit 14A, to at least one of the on-board device 4A and the management device 7A as tire replacement information.

[0148] The information processing device 10D, having the functional configuration shown in Figure 10, is configured, similarly to the information processing device 10A, using, for example, the computer 1 shown in Figure 4.

[0149] Next, the operation of the information processing device 10D will be explained. Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the output processing flow executed by the CPU 1A of the information processing device 10D when an output instruction for the recommended internal pressure is received. The CPU 1A of the information processing device 10D reads the information processing program stored in the non-volatile memory 1C and executes the output processing.

[0150] As already explained, when calculating the recommended tire pressure, various information may be used, including the tire specifications and wear status for each mounting position, as well as the remaining durability of the tire and weather information. For the sake of explanation, the fourth embodiment will describe an example in which the information processing device 10D calculates the recommended tire pressure using the tire specifications and wear status for each mounting position.

[0151] In step S300, the CPU 1A acquires various information about the vehicle 4 and the mine environment from the sensor 2, the sensor unit 1H, and the management device 7A.

[0152] In step S310, the CPU 1A uses various information about the vehicle 4 and the mining environment obtained through the processing in step S300 to calculate the recommended tire specifications and the recommended tire tread depth.

[0153] For example, as shown in the second embodiment, route characteristics for each route can be obtained from various information regarding the vehicle 4 and the mine environment. Once the route characteristics are known, the length of flat roads, the length of inclines, the incline angle of each incline, the amount of curves, and the road surface configuration can be determined for each route. Therefore, the CPU 1A calculates the recommended tire specifications and recommended groove depth for tires that can maximize fuel-efficient driving distance in a mine with the obtained route characteristics. For example, if there is a large proportion of slippery road surfaces, the CPU 1A selects tires with a block pattern as the recommended tire specifications. Also, for example, the CPU 1A calculates the groove depth according to the slipperiness. Slipperiness can be estimated from various information such as gradient, road surface configuration, and amount of curves.

[0154] In step S320, the CPU 1A calculates the recommended internal pressure of the tire for each tire mounting position using the recommended tire specifications and recommended tire groove depth calculated in step S310.

[0155] In step S330, the CPU 1A outputs the recommended tire specifications and recommended tire groove depth calculated in step S310, as well as the recommended tire internal pressure for each mounting position calculated in step S320, to at least one of the in-vehicle device 4A and the management device 7A. This completes the output processing shown in Figure 11.

[0156] The on-board device 4A or management device 7A transmits the recommended tire specifications, recommended groove depth, and recommended internal pressure for each mounting position as tire replacement information for the vehicle 4 to a terminal (not shown) viewed by, for example, a mechanic. This allows the mechanic to know the attributes of the tire that are most suitable for the vehicle 4 in terms of driving stability and economic efficiency. In other words, the information processing device 10D can suggest the attributes of the tire that are most suitable for the vehicle 4 in terms of driving stability and economic efficiency for each tire mounting position on the vehicle 4.

[0157] Therefore, the mechanic can select a tire that meets the attributes output by the information processing device 10D from among new tires, retreaded tires, and used tires, install it in the designated mounting position, and adjust the internal pressure of the tire after installation to the recommended internal pressure.

[0158] In each of the embodiments described above, the recommended internal pressure for each tire that maximizes fuel-efficient driving distance is calculated using the specifications and wear condition of at least each tire mounted on the vehicle 4. Therefore, the information processing devices 10A to 10D ("information processing devices 10 etc.") may calculate the recommended internal pressure for each tire that maximizes fuel-efficient driving distance from the specifications, standard internal pressure, and wear condition of each tire. The standard internal pressure is a standard internal pressure predetermined by the tire manufacturer for each tire, taking into account the characteristics of the tire. The standard internal pressure is also an example of tire specifications.

[0159] Although one form of the information processing device 10, etc. has been described above using embodiments, the disclosed form is merely an example, and the form of the information processing device 10, etc. is not limited to the scope described in the embodiments. Various modifications or improvements can be made to the embodiments without departing from the gist of this disclosure, and such modified or improved forms of the information processing device 10, etc. are also included within the technical scope of the disclosure.

[0160] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the output processing is implemented in software. However, the same processing as the output processing flowchart may be executed in hardware. In this case, the processing speed can be increased compared to when the output processing is implemented in software.

[0161] Furthermore, the above embodiment described an example in which the information processing program is stored in the non-volatile memory 1C. However, the storage location of the information processing program is not limited to the non-volatile memory 1C. The information processing program can also be provided in a form recorded on a storage medium that can be read by a computer.

[0162] For example, information processing programs may be provided in the form of data recorded on portable semiconductor memory such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory and memory cards. Non-volatile memory 1C, USB, and memory cards are examples of non-transitor storage media.

[0163] Furthermore, the CPU 1A may download an information processing program from an external device via the communication unit 1F and store the downloaded information processing program in the non-volatile memory 1C. The information processing program of this invention can be provided as a program product. A program product includes all forms of products for providing a program. For example, a program product includes a program provided via a network such as the Internet, and non-temporary recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs on which the program is stored.

[0164] In the embodiment, CPU 1A was used as an example of a general-purpose processor for explanation. However, in the embodiment, the term "processor" refers to a broader type of processor, including not only general-purpose processors like CPU 1A, but also dedicated processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, Programmable Logical Device, etc.).

[0165] Furthermore, the operation of the processor in the above-described embodiment may not be performed by a single processor, but may be performed by multiple processors working together, or by multiple processors located in physically separate locations working together. This disclosure can also be applied to programs and program products.

[0166] The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-195643, filed on 8 November 2024, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. All documents, patent applications, and technical standards described herein are incorporated herein by reference to the same extent as if each individual document, patent application, and technical standard were specifically and individually noted to be incorporated by reference.

Claims

1. An information processing device comprising: a calculation unit that calculates, based on the specifications and wear condition of each tire mounted on a mining vehicle, a recommended internal pressure for the tire that maximizes the distance traveled per unit fuel consumption, or the distance traveled per unit fuel consumption and per unit load, for each tire mounting position on the mining vehicle; and an output unit that outputs a suggestion to adjust the internal pressure of each tire mounted on the mining vehicle to the recommended internal pressure calculated by the calculation unit.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit calculates, for each tire mounting position on the mining vehicle, the recommended internal pressure of the tire that maximizes the distance traveled per unit fuel consumption of the mining vehicle, or the distance traveled per unit fuel consumption and per unit load, based on the specifications and wear condition of each tire mounted on the mining vehicle, as well as the actual internal pressure of the tire and the load applied to the tire.

3. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein the calculation unit calculates the recommended internal pressure using the specifications, wear condition, actual internal pressure of the tires, and tire slip ratio calculated from the load applied to the tires of each tire mounted on the mining vehicle.

4. The information processing device according to claim 3, wherein the tire slip ratio is calculated using at least one of the following: the specifications, wear condition, actual tire pressure, and load on each tire mounted on the mining vehicle, as well as the slope of the road surface on which the mining vehicle travels, the hardness of the road surface, the heat generation characteristics of the rubber used in the tires, and the output characteristics of the mining vehicle.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the calculation unit calculates the recommended internal pressure using the tire rolling resistance, which is further affected by changes in the internal pressure of the tire, in addition to the tire slip ratio.

6. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit calculates the recommended internal pressure for each tire mounting position on the mining vehicle, taking into consideration the remaining durability of the tire.

7. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein the calculation unit further calculates the recommended internal pressure for each tire mounting position on the mining vehicle using at least one of the road surface conditions on which the mining vehicle travels, weather information at the location on which the mining vehicle travels, and the load of the goods transported by the mining vehicle.

8. An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising an estimation unit for estimating the route characteristics of the route on which the mining vehicle travels, wherein the calculation unit calculates the recommended internal pressure for each tire mounting position on the mining vehicle for each route on which the mining vehicle travels, using the route characteristics of the route on which the mining vehicle travels estimated by the estimation unit.

9. The information processing device according to claim 8, wherein the estimation unit further estimates the route characteristics of unregistered routes, which are routes other than the pre-registered routes on which the mining vehicle travels; the calculation unit uses the route characteristics of the registered routes and the route characteristics of the unregistered routes to calculate the recommended internal pressure for each tire mounting position on the mining vehicle for each registered route and each unregistered route; and calculates the route corresponding to the recommended internal pressure that is closest to the actual internal pressure of the tire at each mounting position on the mining vehicle among the calculated recommended internal pressures as the recommended route.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the estimation unit estimates the route traveled by the mining vehicle from the dispatch information of the mining vehicle.

11. An information processing device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising: an estimation unit that estimates the internal pressure adjustment time required to adjust the internal pressure of each tire to the recommended internal pressure from the difference between the recommended internal pressure and the actual internal pressure of each tire; and a generation unit that generates a work plan for the adjustment work based on the internal pressure adjustment time estimated by the estimation unit, so that the adjustment work to adjust the internal pressure of each tire on the mining vehicle to the recommended internal pressure does not overlap in the workplace, wherein the output unit outputs the work plan for the adjustment work generated by the generation unit together with the proposal and the internal pressure adjustment time.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the calculation unit calculates recommended tire specifications and recommended groove depths for each tire mounting position on the mining vehicle in order to maximize the distance traveled per unit fuel consumption of the mining vehicle, and calculates the recommended internal pressure from the recommended specifications and recommended groove depths, and the output unit outputs the recommended specifications, the recommended groove depths, and the recommended internal pressure at the recommended specifications and recommended groove depths as tire replacement information for the mining vehicle.

13. An information processing device comprising: a calculation unit that calculates a recommended tire pressure for each tire mounting position on a mining vehicle that maximizes the distance traveled per unit of fuel consumption of the mining vehicle, based on the specifications, standard internal pressure, and wear condition of each tire mounted on the mining vehicle; and an output unit that outputs a suggestion to adjust the internal pressure of each tire mounted on the mining vehicle to the recommended internal pressure calculated by the calculation unit.

14. An information processing program that causes a computer to perform the following steps: calculate the recommended internal pressure of a tire that maximizes the distance traveled per unit of fuel consumption, or the distance traveled per unit of fuel consumption and per unit load, for each tire mounting position on a mining vehicle, based on the specifications and wear condition of each tire mounted on the mining vehicle; and output a suggestion to adjust the internal pressure of each tire mounted on the mining vehicle to the calculated recommended internal pressure.

15. An information processing device comprising: a calculation unit that calculates, based on the specifications and wear condition of each tire mounted on a mining vehicle, a recommended internal pressure for the tire that maximizes the distance traveled per unit fuel consumption, or the distance traveled per unit fuel consumption and per unit load, for each tire mounting position on the mining vehicle; an output unit that outputs a suggestion to adjust the internal pressure of each tire mounted on the mining vehicle to the recommended internal pressure calculated by the calculation unit; and an information processing system including a management device comprising: a reception unit that receives the suggestion output from the information processing device; and a display unit that displays the suggestion received by the reception unit for each mining vehicle.

16. The information processing system according to claim 15, further comprising: an output unit of the information processing device outputting the actual internal pressure of each tire mounted on the mining vehicle along with the suggestion; a receiving unit of the management device receiving the actual internal pressure of each tire along with the suggestion; an estimation unit that estimates the internal pressure adjustment time required for each mining vehicle to adjust the internal pressure of each tire to the recommended internal pressure from the difference between the recommended internal pressure and the actual internal pressure of each tire; a generation unit that generates a work plan for the adjustment work based on the internal pressure adjustment time estimated by the estimation unit so that the adjustment work to adjust the internal pressure of the tires on each mining vehicle to the recommended internal pressure does not overlap in the workplace; and a display unit that displays the work plan for the adjustment work generated by the generation unit.

17. The information processing system according to claim 16, wherein the generation unit of the management device generates a combination of mining vehicles and the recommended route that maximizes the distance traveled per unit fuel consumption, or the distance traveled per unit fuel consumption and per unit load, based on the recommended internal pressure of the tires mounted on each of the mining vehicles and the recommended route calculated by the calculation unit of the information processing device using the recommended internal pressure of each tire.

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