Tire information monitoring device, tire information monitoring system, tire information monitoring method, and tire information monitoring program

Abstract

An information processor 26 determines whether or not a period during stop has exceeded a predetermined time (102), transmits tire information by normal BLE when the determination is negative (104), and transmits the tire information in a BLE long range mode when the determination is positive (106).

Description

Tire information monitoring device, tire information monitoring system, tire information monitoring method, and tire information monitoring program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a tire information monitoring device, a tire information monitoring system, a tire information monitoring method, and a tire information monitoring program.

[0002] There is known a technique for monitoring the air pressure of a tire as tire information during vehicle travel by a vehicle and a tire information monitoring device attached to the tire of the vehicle.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a tire state monitoring system including a first acquisition unit that acquires information related to a mounted tire and a second acquisition unit that acquires information related to the load state of the tire, and configured to switch a threshold value for determining the state of the tire based on the information related to the mounted tire acquired by the first acquisition unit and the information related to the load state of the tire acquired by the second acquisition unit.

[0004] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2024-046484

[0005] Since the current tire information monitoring device can operate only when the vehicle power is on, it basically functions only during travel. Therefore, for example, even if the air pressure decreases during a long stop at a vehicle base yard or the like from evening to morning outside of work hours, an abnormality cannot be detected unless the vehicle starts running, and there may be a delay in starting work.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a tire information monitoring device, a tire information monitoring system, a tire information monitoring method, and a tire information monitoring program capable of acquiring tire information not only during travel but also during a stop.

[0007] To achieve the above object, an information processing device according to a first aspect includes an acquisition unit provided on a wheel for acquiring tire information, and a transmission unit that detects a stop of the vehicle based on the tire information acquired by the acquisition unit and transmits the tire information in a long-range mode of energy-saving wireless communication when the stop of the vehicle is detected.

[0008] The information processing device according to the second embodiment, in the information processing device according to the first embodiment, transmits the tire information by normal energy-saving wireless communication when the vehicle is in motion.

[0009] The information processing device according to the third embodiment is an information processing device according to the first or second embodiment in which, when the transmitting unit transmits the tire information using the normal energy-saving wireless communication, it transmits at a predetermined first interval, and when the transmitting the tire information using the long-range mode, it transmits at a second interval that is longer than the first interval.

[0010] The tire information monitoring device according to the fourth embodiment further includes a receiver provided on the vehicle and capable of normal energy-saving wireless communication, in addition to the tire information monitoring device according to any one of the first to third embodiments.

[0011] The tire information monitoring device according to the fifth embodiment is a tire information monitoring device according to any one of the first to fourth embodiments, wherein the transmitting unit includes a first transmitter that transmits the tire information using the normal energy-saving wireless communication, a second transmitter that transmits the tire information in the long-range mode, and a switch that switches between the first transmitter and the second transmitter.

[0012] The tire information monitoring system according to the sixth embodiment includes a tire information monitoring device described in any one of the first to fifth embodiments, and a radio wave receiver installed in a location different from the vehicle and capable of receiving the long-range mode radio waves.

[0013] The tire information monitoring method according to the seventh embodiment involves a computer acquiring tire information using an acquisition unit provided on the wheel, detecting when the vehicle has stopped based on the acquired tire information, and, when the vehicle has stopped, transmitting the tire information in long-range mode of energy-saving wireless communication.

[0014] The tire information monitoring program according to the eighth embodiment causes a computer to acquire tire information using an acquisition unit provided on the wheel to acquire tire information, to detect when the vehicle has stopped based on the acquired tire information, and to execute a process to transmit the tire information in long-range mode of energy-saving wireless communication when the vehicle has stopped.

[0015] This disclosure provides a tire information monitoring device, a tire information monitoring system, a tire information monitoring method, and a tire information monitoring program that can acquire tire information not only while driving but also while stopped.

[0016] Figure 1 shows an example of a vehicle equipped with the tire information monitoring device according to this embodiment. Figure 2 shows another example of a vehicle equipped with the tire information monitoring device according to this embodiment. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the tire information monitoring device according to this embodiment. Figure 4 shows a yard receiver installed in the yard of a vehicle depot, which is capable of receiving radio waves transmitted in BLE long-range mode. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow performed by the information processing machine of the tire information monitoring device according to this embodiment.

[0017] An example of an embodiment of the disclosed technology will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that identical or equivalent components and parts are given the same reference numerals in each drawing. Also, the dimensional ratios in the drawings may be exaggerated for illustrative purposes and may differ from actual ratios.

[0018] Figure 1 shows an example of a vehicle equipped with the tire information monitoring device according to this embodiment, and Figure 2 shows another example of a vehicle equipped with the tire information monitoring device according to this embodiment. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the tire information monitoring device according to this embodiment.

[0019] The tire information monitoring device 10 according to this embodiment is mounted on a vehicle 14 such as a truck as shown in Figure 1, or on a vehicle 16 having a tractor 16A and a trailer 16B which serve as a trailer head as shown in Figure 2.

[0020] The tire information monitoring device 10 is attached to the wheels 18 of vehicles 14 and 16, and the vehicles 14 and 16 are equipped with receivers 12 that receive radio wave information from the tire information monitoring device 10.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3, the tire information monitoring device 10 is equipped with a pressure sensor 20, a temperature sensor 22, a motion sensor 24, an information processor 26, a normal BLE transmitter 28, a long-range BLE transmitter 30, and an antenna 34, and is powered by a battery 36 such as a lithium-ion battery.

[0022] The pressure sensor 20 detects the pressure inside the tire, the temperature sensor 22 detects the temperature inside the tire, and the motion sensor 24 detects the movement of the tire. In this embodiment, the tire pressure and temperature are detected as tire information.

[0023] The information processing unit 26 is configured as a computer with a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and determines whether the vehicles 14 and 16 are moving or stopped based on the detection results of the motion sensor 24. For example, centrifugal force is derived from the detection results of the motion sensor 24, and the speed can be determined from the centrifugal force, so it is determined that the vehicle is moving if it is determined that the wheels 18 are rotating at a predetermined speed or higher for a predetermined continuous time. Also, it is determined that the vehicle is stopped if it is determined that the wheels 18 are rotating at a speed lower than a predetermined speed and a predetermined continuous time has elapsed. Furthermore, the information processing unit 26 controls the transmission of tire information by BLE according to the determination result of whether the vehicle is moving or stopped. The information processing unit 26 corresponds to an acquisition unit and a transmission unit.

[0024] The standard BLE transmitter 28 transmits the detection results of the pressure sensor 20 and temperature sensor 22 as tire information using standard BLE (Bluetooth® Low Energy), which is a standard energy-saving wireless communication method. The standard BLE transmitter 28 transmits the tire information at a predetermined first interval. The first interval is, for example, 1 to 10 minutes. The radio waves transmitted from the standard BLE transmitter 28 are received by receivers 12 attached to vehicles 14 and 16.

[0025] When the receiver 12 attached to vehicles 14 and 16 receives radio waves transmitted from the BLE transmitter 28, it displays tire information on a display unit (not shown). The display unit may be one of the various monitors provided on the vehicle, or it may be a dedicated monitor for displaying tire information.

[0026] The long-range BLE transmitter 30 transmits tire information in the long-range mode of BLE, an energy-saving wireless communication technology (hereinafter sometimes referred to as BLE long-range mode). The long-range BLE transmitter 30 transmits tire information at a second interval that is longer than the first interval. The first interval is preferably, for example, 30 minutes to 2 hours. In BLE long-range mode, the communication range is normally longer than that of BEL.

[0027] The switch 32 switches the transmitter connected to the antenna 34 between the normal BLE transmitter 28 and the long-range BLE transmitter 30.

[0028] Figure 4 shows a yard receiver installed in the yard of a train depot, which is capable of receiving radio waves transmitted in BLE long-range mode.

[0029] As shown in Figure 4, the radio waves transmitted from the long-range BLE transmitter 30 are received by a yard receiver 40, which is a radio wave receiver located in a different location from the vehicles 14 and 16. The yard receiver 40 is installed, for example, on a pole 42 erected in the yard of the vehicle depot.

[0030] The yard receiver 40 may, for example, directly transmit tire information received from the tire information monitoring device 10 to the cloud via a telecom network. Alternatively, it may be connected by wire to an office 46 or the like within the yard and transmit tire information to the cloud or the like via the internet connection of the office 46 or the like. If the yard of the vehicle depot is wider than the communication range of the BLE long-range mode, this can be addressed by installing multiple yard receivers 40. In this case, the yard receivers 40 may be configured to communicate with each other and act as relays.

[0031] The yard receiver 40 enables communication, making it possible to transmit tire information at regular intervals while conserving battery power, even for vehicles that are parked in the vehicle depot yard for long periods of time without being connected to a trailer head such as a trailer 16B or tractor 16A.

[0032] Next, we will describe the specific processing performed by the information processing unit 26 of the tire information monitoring device 10 according to this embodiment, which is configured as described above. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow performed by the information processing unit 26 of the tire information monitoring device 10 according to this embodiment. Note that the processing in Figure 5 starts at an interval corresponding to the communication at the end of the previous session. For example, if tire information was transmitted in normal BLE mode at the end of the previous session, it starts at the first interval, and if tire information was transmitted in BLE long-range mode, it starts at the second interval.

[0033] In step 100, the information processing unit 26 acquires the detection results from each sensor and proceeds to step 102. Specifically, it acquires the detection results from the pressure sensor 20, the temperature sensor 22, and the motion sensor 24.

[0034] In step 102, the information processing unit 26 determines whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed during the stopped state. This determination is made, for example, by determining from the detection results of the motion sensor 24 whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed during which the wheels 18 have been rotating at a speed less than a predetermined speed, thereby determining whether the vehicles 14 and 16 are stopped. If the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step 104; if it is positive, the process proceeds to step 106.

[0035] In step 104, the information processor 26 terminates the series of processes by transmitting tire information in normal BLE mode. Specifically, the information processor 26 outputs tire information to the normal BLE transmitter 28, and the switch 32 transmits the tire information in normal BLE mode by switching the connection of the antenna 34 to the normal BLE transmitter 28.

[0036] Meanwhile, in step 106, the information processor 26 transmits tire information in BLE long-range mode to complete the series of processes. Specifically, the information processor 26 outputs tire information to the long-range BLE transmitter 30, and the switch 32 transmits the tire information in BLE long-range mode by switching the connection of the antenna 34 to the long-range BLE transmitter 30.

[0037] Thus, in the tire information monitoring device 10 according to this embodiment, even when the vehicles 14 and 16 are stopped, tire information can be obtained even when they are stopped in a yard or the like, because the communication range is longer than that of normal BLE by transmitting tire information in BLE long-range mode. In addition, power consumption can be suppressed by making the communication interval of long-range BLE longer than that of normal BLE.

[0038] Furthermore, by acquiring tire information even when the vehicle is stopped in a yard or similar location, it is possible to detect abnormalities without starting the vehicle, for example, if the tire pressure drops while the vehicle is stopped from evening to morning outside of working hours, thus preventing delays in the start of operations. This prevents driving with abnormal tires, ensures safety, and prevents the vehicle from starting to drive when a tire problem occurs, thereby shortening the vehicle's recovery time and promoting proactive restoration of the vehicle's condition, making it possible to avoid dangers and downtime caused by tire troubles.

[0039] In the above embodiment, examples were described in which tire pressure and tire temperature are used as tire information transmitted from the tire information monitoring device 10, but the invention is not limited to these. For example, the detection result of the motion sensor 24 may also be transmitted as tire information. Alternatively, the detection results of other sensors other than the pressure sensor 20, temperature sensor 22, and motion sensor 24 may also be transmitted as tire information.

[0040] Furthermore, the technical scope of this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications or improvements can be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit, and such modified or improved forms are also included within the technical scope of this disclosure.

[0041] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the processing performed by the tire information monitoring device 10 may be implemented by a software configuration, or each process may be implemented by a hardware configuration. Alternatively, it may be implemented by combining a software configuration and a hardware configuration. Cross-reference of related applications

[0042] This application is based on patent application no. 2024-199276, filed on 14 November 2024, and claims the benefit of priority thereunder, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0043] 10 Tire information monitoring device, 12 Receiver, 14 Vehicle, 16 Vehicle, 18 Wheel, 20 Pressure sensor, 22 Temperature sensor, 24 Motion sensor, 26 Information processor, 28 Standard BLE transmitter, 30 Long-range BLE transmitter, 32 Switch, 34 Antenna

Claims

1. A tire information monitoring device comprising: an acquisition unit provided on a wheel to acquire tire information; and a transmission unit that detects when a vehicle has stopped based on the tire information acquired by the acquisition unit, and transmits the tire information in long-range mode of energy-saving wireless communication when the vehicle has stopped.

2. The tire information monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting unit transmits the tire information by normal energy-saving wireless communication when the vehicle is in motion.

3. The tire information monitoring device according to claim 2, wherein when the transmitting unit transmits the tire information using the normal energy-saving wireless communication, it transmits at a predetermined first interval, and when the transmitting unit transmits the tire information using the long-range mode, it transmits at a second interval that is longer than the first interval.

4. The tire information monitoring device according to claim 2, further comprising a receiver provided on the vehicle and capable of normal energy-saving wireless communication.

5. The tire information monitoring device according to claim 2, wherein the transmitting unit includes a first transmitter that transmits the tire information using the conventional energy-saving wireless communication method, a second transmitter that transmits the tire information in the long-range mode, and a switch that switches between the first transmitter and the second transmitter.

6. A tire information monitoring system comprising: a tire information monitoring device according to claim 1; and a radio receiver provided at a location different from the vehicle and capable of receiving radio waves in long-range mode.

7. A tire information monitoring method comprising: a computer acquiring tire information using an acquisition unit provided on the wheel; detecting the vehicle stopping based on the acquired tire information; and, when the vehicle stopping is detected, transmitting the tire information in long-range mode of energy-saving wireless communication.

8. A tire information monitoring program that causes a computer to perform the following processes: acquire tire information using an acquisition unit provided on the wheel to acquire tire information; detect when the vehicle has stopped based on the acquired tire information; and, when the vehicle has stopped, transmit the tire information in long-range mode of energy-saving wireless communication.

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