Abstract: In order to enable the shape of the surface of a tire including the shoulder sections thereof to be detected, a tire shape testing device comprises: a first linear light application means (10) for applying linear light to the tread section (8) of the tire; a second linear light application means (12) for applying linear light to the sidewall sections (7) of the tire; a third linear light application means (13) for applying linear light to the shoulder sections (9) and to regions outside the shoulder sections (9); and image capturing means (16) for capturing the images of the linear light applied by the first linear light application means (10), the second light application means, and the third linear light applications means (13) and reflected by the surface of the tire.

Abstract: A tire shape inspection method comprises a contact face acquisition step of acquiring contact face height changes by removing data outside of a prescribed range from detected tread face height data, a height change interpolation step of interpolating the section removed in the previous step using heights in the prescribed height range and acquiring height changes in the interpolated contact faces, and a runout value acquisition step of acquiring, as a runout value indicating the shape of the tread face, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value in the height changes of the interpolated contact faces.

Abstract: A tire shape inspection method executes the following steps: first, as a teaching operation step, boundary lines of the bulge and dent marks are detected in a sample source image of a sample tire, a mask image is generated which denotes the boundary lines, regions are removed from the sample source image which correspond to the boundary lines which are denoted in the mask image, and a height offset image is generated which represents the heights of the remaining regions with one or more offset values. Next, as an inspection operation step, the height offset image is subtracted from an inspection image of the inspection tire, the boundary regions which the mask image represents are removed, and, on the basis of the obtained bulge/dent removal image, shape defects of the sidewall surfaces of the inspection tire are inspected.

Abstract: Boundary lines which are contours of uneven marks are detected in a sample original image of the sidewall surface of a sample tire, and a mask image showing the position of the boundary lines is generated. Thereupon, a height offset image which shows a height of the uneven marks is generated by, in use of a plurality of discrete height threshold values, classifying the height of regions in the sample original image which remain after excluding regions corresponding to the positions of the boundary lines shown in the mask image. An unevenness-excluded image is generated by excluding the uneven marks from an inspection image of a sidewall surface of a tire under inspection, by subtracting the height offset image from the inspection image. A shape defect in the sidewall surface of the tire under inspection is inspected on the basis of the unevenness-excluded image.

Abstract: A tire shape inspection method comprises a contact face acquisition step of acquiring contact face height changes by removing data outside of a prescribed range from detected tread face height data, a height change interpolation step of interpolating the section removed in the previous step using heights in the prescribed height range and acquiring height changes in the interpolated contact faces, and a runout value acquisition step of acquiring, as a runout value indicating the shape of the tread face, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value in the height changes of the interpolated contact faces.

Abstract: A tire shape inspection method executes the following steps: first, as a teaching operation step, boundary lines of the bulge and dent marks are detected in a sample source image of a sample tire, a mask image is generated which denotes the boundary lines, regions are removed from the sample source image which correspond to the boundary lines which are denoted in the mask image, and a height offset image is generated which represents the heights of the remaining regions with one or more offset values. Next, as an inspection operation step, the height offset image is subtracted from an inspection image of the inspection tire, the boundary regions which the mask image represents are removed, and, on the basis of the obtained bulge/dent removal image, shape defects of the sidewall surfaces of the inspection tire are inspected.

Abstract: A tire surface shape measuring device detects a surface shape of tires having different sidewall surface thicknesses and tread surface widths with the same image resolution and high accuracy. The device is provided with an image capturing element in which an image capturing surface for capturing the image of the linear light applied to the surface of the tire is provided, an image capture area setting means which sets an effective image capture area provided with the length in the longitudinal direction of the image of the linear light on the image capturing surface such that all of the image formed on the image capture surface of the linear light is included, and a pixel data extracting means which extracts a predetermined given number of measurement signals from the set effective image capture area.

Abstract: In order to enable the shape of the surface of a tire including the shoulder sections thereof to be detected, a tire shape testing device comprises: a first linear light application means (10) for applying linear light to the tread section (8) of the tire; a second linear light application means (12) for applying linear light to the sidewall sections (7) of the tire; a third linear light application means (13) for applying linear light to the shoulder sections (9) and to regions outside the shoulder sections (9); and image capturing means (16) for capturing the images of the linear light applied by the first linear light application means (10), the second light application means, and the third linear light applications means (13) and reflected by the surface of the tire.

Abstract: Boundary lines which are contours of uneven marks are detected in a sample original image of the sidewall surface of a sample tyre, and a mask image showing the position of the boundary lines is generated. Thereupon, a height offset image which shows a height of the uneven marks is generated by, in use of a plurality of discrete height threshold values, classifying the height of regions in the sample original image which remain after excluding regions corresponding to the positions of the boundary lines shown in the mask image. An unevenness-excluded image is generated by excluding the uneven marks from an inspection image of a sidewall surface of a tyre under inspection, by subtracting the height offset image from the inspection image. A shape defect in the sidewall surface of the tyre under inspection is inspected on the basis of the unevenness-excluded image.

Abstract: A terminal device is constituted by a terminal device main frame (2), which has a key input circuit (21), and a switch unit (3) connected to the main frame via connectors (4, 5) in a freely attachable and detachable manner. A number n of switch-signal input terminals (41.about.4n) provided in the key input circuit (21) is equal to or greater than a number N of switches (11.about.1N) provided in the switch unit (3) (n.gtoreq.N). The switch unit (3) is provided with a generator (6) for generating a signal which designates the number N when the number N of switches is set. The switch-number designating signal is applied to the key input circuit (21). From among the input terminals (41.about.4n), the CPU (22) of the terminal device main frame accepts switch signals only from the input terminals of number N designated by the switch-number designating signal. Thus, switch units of a plurality of types having different numbers of switches can be used upon being connected to a single terminal device main frame.