Tire, Tread Or Roadway Patents (Class 73/146)
  • Patent number: 11975572
    Abstract: An in-tire electric device having a bracket and an electric circuit unit detachably held by the bracket includes: an engagement protrusion and an engagement hole provided on the electric circuit unit and the bracket to engage with each other to restrict, through a two-step operation where the electric circuit unit is moved in a first direction and then moved or rotated in a second direction intersecting the first direction, all movements and rotations except for a reverse of the second direction; a retainer mounted on the bracket from a direction intersecting the second direction and facing the electric circuit unit in the second direction to restrict the electric circuit unit from moving in the second direction; and retainer locking portions formed on the bracket and the retainer and engage with each other by elastic deformation of one of the retainer locking portions to lock the retainer to the bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: PACIFIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirohisa Yamada, Hiroki Isowa
  • Patent number: 11964515
    Abstract: An integrated tread wear sensor and tire pressure monitoring system sensor unit container for a tire includes a tread wear sensor plug and a sensor container. The tread wear sensor plug includes a cylindrical projection extending through an opening formed in a selected tread element of the tire. A flange extends outwardly from the projection and includes a contact surface that is mounted to an innerliner of the tire. A conductive wire is disposed in the tread wear sensor plug and includes proximal ends disposed in the flange and a distal end disposed near a radially outer surface of the projection. The sensor container includes a wall extending radially from the flange of the tread wear sensor plug and terminating in a lip. A container cavity is defined by the flange, the wall, and the lip, and receives a tire pressure monitoring system sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey McKay West, Arun Kumar Byatarayanapura Gopala, Michael William Kestner, Junling Zhao, Peter Jung-min Suh
  • Patent number: 11959889
    Abstract: An apparatus for testing paving samples includes a base that includes a paving sample tray about the cabinet and configured for translation relative to the cabinet. A roller is configured for imparting compressive forces to a sample carried by the sample tray. An arm is configured for moving the roller from a stowed position to an in-use position where the roller contacts the sample. A cylinder assembly having a piston therein supplies pressure forces to the arm to move the arm from the stowed position to the in-use position, wherein a depth of travel of the arm is limited by the sample. As the sample is compressed, the depth of travel increases. A measurement device is in communication with the cylinder for determining an amount of travel of the arm to thus determine an amount of compression of the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Troxler Electronic Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Marchese, William Sanders, Yan Zhang, Robert Ernest Troxler
  • Patent number: 11945266
    Abstract: A system for estimating a tire load of a tire includes a pressure sensor configured to generate a tire pressure signal; an acceleration sensor configured to generate a tire acceleration signal; a temperature sensor configured to generate a tire temperature signal; and at least one processor configured to calculate a duration of a contact patch based on the tire acceleration signal, calculate a vehicle speed based on the tire acceleration signal, determine at least one system model coefficient based on the tire pressure signal and the tire temperature signal, and calculate the tire load of the tire using a linear system model that relates tire pressure, the duration of the contact patch, and the vehicle speed to the tire load of the tire, where the linear system model further includes the at least one system model coefficient for calculating the tire load of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Christoph Steiner
  • Patent number: 11933687
    Abstract: A device for detecting a rail load fits into a bore of a rail and includes a sensor that generates a load signal under an action of the rail load caused when rail vehicles with wheels travel on the rail and the wheels exert a load onto the rail. The load signal is a measure for the rail load. The sensor includes at least one piezoelectric sensor element that generates electric polarization charges as the load signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: KISTLER HOLDING AG
    Inventor: Kim Pfluger
  • Patent number: 11927447
    Abstract: A method for primarily sensor-based navigation includes: in a first time period, collecting geophysical position data using a GPS receiver of a navigation device; in the first time period, collecting a first set of accelerometer data using an accelerometer of the navigation device; analyzing the first set of accelerometer data to produce a first set of vertical vehicular motion data; generating a mapping association between the first set of vertical vehicular motion data and the geophysical position data; in a second time period after the first time period, collecting a second set of accelerometer data using the accelerometer; analyzing the second set of accelerometer data to produce a second set of vertical vehicular motion data; and calculating an estimated location of the vehicle by analyzing the second set of vertical vehicular motion data in light of the mapping association.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Zendrive, Inc.
    Inventors: Romit Roy Choudhury, Jayanta Pal, Pankaj Risbood, Jonathan Matus
  • Patent number: 11904642
    Abstract: A TPMS inflation valve for a commercial vehicle includes an inflation valve body, an inflation valve seat and a sensor subassembly. The inflation valve body and the inflation valve seat are components split apart from each other. The inflation valve is mounted on an automobile rim by means of the inflation valve seat, and the inflation valve body is provided with an installation portion for a valve core. The inflation valve body and the inflation valve seat are assembled and connected to form an airflow channel for communication. A cavity located outside the automobile rim and close to the automobile rim is formed at the position where the inflation valve body and the inflation valve seat are assembled and connected. The sensor subassembly is arranged in the cavity in communication with the airflow channel of the inflation valve or located on the airflow channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: HAMATON AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jianer Zhang
  • Patent number: 11905033
    Abstract: A method of determining whether a landing event of an aircraft is hard may comprise: receiving, by a controller via a stroke position sensor, a stroke profile as a function of time for a shock strut; receiving, by the controller via a gas pressure sensor, a gas pressure in a gas chamber of the shock strut; receiving, by the controller via a wheel speed sensor, a wheel speed of a tire in a landing gear assembly; calculating, by the controller, multiple time dependent functions based on the stroke profile of the shock strut, based on the gas pressure, a shock strut temperature, and the wheel speed; and comparing, by the controller, the multiple time dependent functions to respective predetermined thresholds to determine whether the landing event is hard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: GOODRICH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Adnan Cepic, Ebenezer Kielstra, Amir Fazeli
  • Patent number: 11897296
    Abstract: A tire monitoring apparatus comprises a sensor housing having a connection part integrated with the sensor housing, the connection part having an elongated opening and a corresponding mounting feature in a wheel rim, wherein a screw extends through the elongated opening and connects with the corresponding mounting feature in the wheel rim, thereby when the screw is not tightened fully, the sensor housing can be rotated with respect to the corresponding mounting feature in the wheel rim, and when the screw is tightened fully, the sensor housing is secured in place and does not rotate with respect to the corresponding mounting feature in the wheel rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: SENSATA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Michael D. Weston, Thomas J. O'Brien
  • Patent number: 11900629
    Abstract: In various examples, surface profile estimation and bump detection may be performed based on a three-dimensional (3D) point cloud. The 3D point cloud may be filtered in view of a portion of an environment including drivable free-space, and within a threshold height to factor out other objects or obstacles other than a driving surface and protuberances thereon. The 3D point cloud may be analyzed—e.g., using a sliding window of bounding shapes along a longitudinal or other heading direction—to determine one-dimensional (1D) signal profiles corresponding to heights along the driving surface. The profile itself may be used by a vehicle—e.g., an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle—to help in navigating the environment, and/or the profile may be used to detect bumps, humps, and/or other protuberances along the driving surface, in addition to a location, orientation, and geometry thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Minwoo Park, Yue Wu, Michael Grabner, Cheng-Chieh Yang
  • Patent number: 11879809
    Abstract: In a vehicle action simulation method according to the present invention, a behavior of an actual vehicle during travel is predicted, and an attitude of a tire and a rotational speed of a rotary drum are changed to reproduce a transient change in a tire attitude that occurs during the travel of the actual vehicle on the tire while the predicted behavior of the actual vehicle during travel is reflected, stress applied to the tire in contact with the rotary drum of a tire ground contact characteristic measuring portion is measured, tire ground contact characteristics are calculated, the behavior of the actual vehicle during travel is predicted while vehicle characteristics predicted from the tire ground contact characteristics are reflected, and the prediction, the reproduction, the measurement of stress, and the calculation are performed in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahisa Kamikura, Hiroshi Kato
  • Patent number: 11874198
    Abstract: A tire inspection device includes a gas sensor disposed outside of a tire and facing an outer surface of the tire. The gas sensor detects a gas that fills the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: YAMAHA FINE TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuichi Doki, Takeshi Kato, Akane Iizuka
  • Patent number: 11867588
    Abstract: A tire testing device includes a carriage configured to rotatably hold a test wheel provided with a test tire and being capable of travelling on a base along a road surface in a state where the test wheel is made to contact the road surface, and a driving system configured to drive the test wheel and the carriage. The driving system includes a carriage driving part configured to drive the carriage with respect to the road surface in a predetermined speed, a test wheel driving part configured to drive the test wheel in a rotating speed corresponding to the predetermined speed, a driving part configured to generate power to be used to drive the carriage and the test wheel, and a power distributing part configured to distribute power generated by the driving part to the carriage driving part and the test wheel driving part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: KOKUSAI KEISOKUKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Sigeru Matsumoto, Hiroshi Miyashita, Kazuhiro Murauchi, Shuichi Tokita
  • Patent number: 11861819
    Abstract: A system and method for calibrating a machine vision system on the undercarriage of a rail vehicle while the rail vehicle is in the field is presented. The system enables operators to calibrate the machine vision system without having to remove the machine vision system from the undercarriage of the rail vehicle. The system can capture, by a camera of an image capturing module, a first image of a target. The image capturing module and a drum can be attached to a fixture and the target can be attached to the drum. The system can also determine a number of lateral pixels in a lateral pitch distance of the image of the target, determining a lateral object pixel size based on the number of lateral pixels, and determining a drum encoder rate based on the lateral object pixel size. The drum encoder rate can be programmed into a drum encoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: BNSF Railway Company
    Inventor: Darrell R. Krueger
  • Patent number: 11850895
    Abstract: A method is provided for dynamically determining a tire longitudinal force. The method includes determining a tire acceleration variable by an acceleration sensor arranged in a tire bead, determining a first time interval between a tire contact patch entry point and an acceleration vertex by a processor unit, and determining a second time interval between the acceleration vertex and a tire contact patch exit point by the processor unit. The method also includes determining a magnitude or direction of a tire longitudinal force variable comprising a tire longitudinal force by the processor unit from a symmetry shift detected between the first and second time intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Florian Schott, Norbert Fritz
  • Patent number: 11846339
    Abstract: A method of balancing an assembly of a wheel and a tire, may include measuring a maximum-value position of RFV of a tire and marking the measured maximum-value position, as a tire reference position, measuring each of the internal runout and external runout of the wheel, extracting a primary component of a waveform of the measured internal runout and a primary component of a waveform of the measured external runout and setting the former and latter measured primary components to be internal and external runout waveforms, respectively, synthesizing the internal and external runout waveforms and marking a minimum-value position on a synthesis waveform resulting from the synthesizing, as a wheel reference position, and aligning the tire reference position on the tire and the wheel reference position on the wheel to have the same phase and assembling the wheel and the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Young Sam Yoon
  • Patent number: 11845540
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining tire pressure of an aircraft tire. The apparatus includes a processing system configured to: obtain a first set and a second set of tire measurement data for an aircraft, wherein the first set is from a start of a flight cycle and the second set is from a time before the first set; and determine a steady state tire pressure based on the first and second sets of measurement data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited
    Inventor: Michael Robertson
  • Patent number: 11842168
    Abstract: An electronic system includes a mapping circuit configured to receive input samples of a dataset within a defined range of values. The mapping circuit is configured to perform comparisons that compare each input sample to each of a plurality of comparison values selected from the defined range of values. For each comparison, the mapping circuit generates an indication value specifying whether the input sample used in the comparison is greater than or equal to the comparison value used in the comparison. The system includes an adder circuit configured to generate a sum of the indication values for each comparison value and a memory configured to maintain counts corresponding to the comparison values. The counts are updated by the respective sums. The system includes a threshold detection circuit configured to determine, for the dataset, a threshold value or threshold range based on the counts read from the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Sai Lalith Chaitanya Ambatipudi, Vamsi Krishna Nalluri, Sandeep Jayant Sathe, Chaithanya Dudha, Krishna Kishore Bhagavatula
  • Patent number: 11840242
    Abstract: A method and a device for ascertaining a dynamic tire circumference of a transportation vehicle. The method includes: receiving a first signal representing a yaw rate of the transportation vehicle, a second signal representing a wheel rotation speed of a wheel of the transportation vehicle, a third signal representing a steering angle of the transportation vehicle, and a fourth signal representing a dynamic track width of the transportation vehicle; ascertaining a first output signal of a first Kalman filter that represents the dynamic tire circumference of the wheel, using the first signal, the second signal, the third signal, and the fourth signal as input signals for the first Kalman filter; and using the first output signal in a control unit of the transportation vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Stepan Kroupa, Ussama Lazouane, Fabian Stein, Harald Michi
  • Patent number: 11835421
    Abstract: Sensor assemblies and systems comprise a housing configured with an electrical sensor device retained therein to protect the sensor device. The housing may include display indicia relating to some aspect of the sensor assembly. The electrical sensor device include electrical components useful for the purpose of monitoring and transmitting desired data relating to operating parameters/conditions of the dynamic article that the sensor assembly is attached with. The data is transmitted wirelessly from the electrical sensor device. The housing is removably attached with a retaining member that is also attached with the dynamic article or an element connected thereto. A receiver external from the dynamic article receives the data to determine such operating parameter/or conditions, when the dynamic article is a vehicle tire, as outside diameter, tread depth, pressure, radial load, vehicle camber and/or toe alignment variations, and tire/vehicle location, which may be stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Inventor: Keith George Ferry
  • Patent number: 11834081
    Abstract: A track recording vehicle for detecting the resilience of a rail track has a machine frame supported on two rail-mounted undercarriages. A first measuring system detects a vertical distance of the rail track under load and a second measuring system detects a vertical distance of the rail track under no load or with reduced load. The first measuring system is coupled to an evaluation device for calculating the course of a first vertical sine and the second measuring system determines a course of a second vertical sine, relative to a common reference base defined by two outer measuring points under load, at an interposed central measuring point without or with reduced load. The evaluation device calculates a subsidence of the rail track under load from the two vertical sines. The track recording vehicle detects a subsidence of the rail track under load in a single measuring run.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Plasser & Theurer Export von Bahnbaumaschinen GmbH
    Inventor: Florian Auer
  • Patent number: 11830297
    Abstract: To provide an enhanced method to determine from a driving characteristics of the vehicle a long term mechanical stress of a vehicle, it is proposed that during operation of the vehicle an acceleration of the vehicle is detected by an acceleration sensor in the vehicle and evaluated by a vehicle analyzing system in the vehicle, wherein a driving parameter occurring during an acceleration event in which the vehicle acceleration is above a predetermined threshold is used to determine a driving characteristics value of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Inventor: Walter Steven Rosenbaum
  • Patent number: 11814189
    Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring a tire and/or a wheel including a sensor system; a wireless communication interface; a processor connected to the sensor system and the wireless communication interface; a power source; and a mounting system for attaching the apparatus to a wheel. The mounting system is configured to allow movement of the sensor system relative to the wheel in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited
    Inventor: Andrew Bill
  • Patent number: 11809788
    Abstract: A method for simulating the physical behavior of a tire comprises, to calculate a resultant force transmitted by the tire between the ground and the vehicle at a given instant: modelling (Ea) of the contact area in the form of a square surface, discretization (Eb) by a subdivision in slices orthogonal to the direction of travel of the tire, determination (Ec) of the nature of the contact, gripping or sliding, as a function of the steering lock angle, calculation (Ed) of the elementary force exerted on the slice by application of predetermined equations, tire, and calculation (Ee) of the resultant force by integration of the elementary forces over the entire square surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventor: Jeremy Vayssettes
  • Patent number: 11807291
    Abstract: A method can be used to adapt a steering torque for controlling a feedback actuator of a steer-by-wire motor vehicle steering system. The method may involve providing a basic steering torque, providing a rack-force-based steering torque, determining a difference between the basic steering torque and the rack-force-based steering torque, and if the difference exceeds a predetermined limit value adapting the basic steering torque to the rack-force-based steering torque and transmitting a resulting steering torque to control the feedback actuator. However, if the difference remains below the predetermined limit value, then the method may involve transmitting the basic steering torque to control the feedback actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignees: thyssenkrupp Presta AG, thyssenkrupp AG
    Inventor: Manuel Rohrmoser
  • Patent number: 11801726
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining the location of a vehicle are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for localizing a vehicle includes driving over a first road segment, identifying by a first localization system a set of candidate road segments, obtaining vertical motion data while driving over the first road segment, comparing the obtained vertical motion data to reference vertical motion data associated with at least one candidate road segment, and identifying, based on the comparison, a location of the vehicle. The use of such localization methods and systems in coordination with various advanced vehicle systems such as, for example, active suspension systems or autonomous driving features, is contemplated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: ClearMotion, Inc.
    Inventors: Vijayaraghavan Sridhar, John Parker Eisenmann, Yu Jiang, David Francis Weatherwax
  • Patent number: 11787242
    Abstract: Embodiments included herein are directed towards systems and methods for tire pressure monitoring. Embodiments may include transmitting a first Bluetooth Low Energy (“BLE”) event at a Phase Auto-Location (“PAL”) block associated with a vehicle electronic control unit (“ECU”). Embodiments may further include generating a random number to be used for an inter-event delay associated with a BLE system, wherein the inter-event delay includes a fixed time and a randomized delay. Embodiments may also include calculating a time for the randomized delay and adding the time to an encoded Look Back Time (“LBT”) from the first BLE event to generate frame contents. Embodiments may further include providing the frame contents and the random number to a stack for transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: SENSATA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Samuel D. Houston, Jonathan Edward Barr, Nevin R. Molyneaux
  • Patent number: 11787454
    Abstract: A railcar acoustic monitoring system including a first trackside frame assembly that includes a first outer frame assembly, a second outer frame assembly, and a first inner frame assembly. The first outer frame assembly including a first microphone assembly positioned on a first outer side of the first rail of the railroad track, the first microphone assembly oriented to receive acoustic signals associated with the passing train. The second outer frame assembly including a second microphone assembly positioned on a second outer side of a second rail of the railroad track, the second microphone assembly oriented to receive acoustic signals associated with the passing train. The first inner frame assembly including a first housing, a third microphone assembly oriented to receive acoustic signals emanating from the first rail, and a fourth microphone assembly oriented to receive acoustic signals associated with the passing train.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: VOESTALPINE SIGNALING USA INC.
    Inventors: James R. Bilodeau, John D. Ritchey, Eric C. Sprengle, Jody Lutz
  • Patent number: 11787240
    Abstract: A tire air pressure warning device includes a tire air pressure sensor and at least one controller that warns a driver that a tire air pressure detected by the tire air pressure sensor has dropped to or below a first prescribed pressure. The at least one controller further notifies the driver is reduction in the tire air pressure upon determining that the tire air pressure has dropped to or below a second prescribed pressure, which is above the first prescribed pressure. The at least one controller further determines whether the tire air pressure has dropped to or below the second prescribed pressure based on when the tire air pressure is at or below the second prescribed pressure in an ignition switch on state, and whether the tire air pressure has dropped to or below the second prescribed pressure when the ignition switch is turned off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takahisa Arai
  • Patent number: 11780276
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a tyre with a monitoring device fixed on an inner surface at a crown portion, wherein the monitoring device includes an electronic unit and an electric power supplier, wherein the electronic unit includes a sensor for detecting at least one of temperature, pressure, acceleration, deformation; a processing unit; a transceiver, wherein the monitoring device includes a flexible support on which the electronic unit and the electric energy supplier are fixed, and wherein an acute angle (A) formed between a main development direction (L) of the flexible support and a direction of intersection of the equatorial plane of the tyre with the inner surface of the tyre is greater than or equal to 20° and lower than or equal to 70°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: PIRELLI TYRE S.p.A.
    Inventors: Cristiano Puppi, Ivan Gildo Boscaino, Andrea Natta
  • Patent number: 11780273
    Abstract: A method for extracting changes in characteristics of a tire supporting a vehicle is provided. The method includes extracting selected tire characteristics from at least one sensor mounted on the tire. The selected tire characteristics are transmitted to a remote processor and are stored in a historical data log that is in communication with the remote processor. At least one tire characteristic of interest is selected, and a time series decomposition model is applied to data from the historical data log to delineate exogenous inputs from an underlying trend in the selected tire characteristic of interest. A learning model is applied to the underlying trend in the selected tire characteristic of interest to model a relationship between the selected tire characteristic of interest and a condition of the tire. A prediction value for a condition of the tire is output from the learning model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Kanwar Bharat Singh, Mustafa Ali Arat
  • Patent number: 11761812
    Abstract: A measurement method includes: a step of acquiring first observation point information including a time point when each part of a moving object passes a first observation point and a physical quantity which is a response to an action; a step of acquiring second observation point information including a time point when the each part passes a second observation point and a physical quantity which is a response to an action; a step of calculating a deflection waveform of a structure generated by the each part; a step of adding the deflection waveforms to calculate a moving object deflection waveform, and calculating a path deflection waveform based on the moving object deflection waveform; a step of calculating a displacement waveform by twice integrating an acceleration of a third observation point; and a step of calculating, based on the path deflection waveform, a value of each coefficient of a polynomial approximating an integration error, and correcting the displacement waveform based on the value of each c
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11761857
    Abstract: The device for rotating and inspecting tires includes a housing having opposed upper and lower surfaces, with a ramp portion of the upper surface being inclined and a support portion of the upper surface having a depression formed therein. A pair of spaced apart slots are formed through the upper surface within the depression. A pair of rollers are mounted within the housing beneath the pair of spaced apart slots. Each of the rollers has an adjustable height such that the pair of rollers may be selectively raised and lowered through the pair of spaced apart slots. The rollers are driven to rotate by motors or the like such that, in use, each tire may be lifted off the upper surface of the housing by raising the rollers, and the rollers may be driven to rotate the tire. Optical sensors are provided to inspect the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: KING FAISAL UNIVERSITY
    Inventor: Mohieddine Rahmouni
  • Patent number: 11760140
    Abstract: A method for checking the tire pressure of a vehicle (1), which vehicle comprises at least one vehicle wheel (3) and a vehicle body (2) which is supported elastically on the vehicle wheel (3). The wheel includes a tire (7), filled with gas, on which wheel the vehicle stands on a subsurface (8). The vehicle body (2) is loaded with an additional mass and thereby the vehicle body is stimulated into a mechanical oscillation (16) relative to the subsurface (8). A response signal (A), that characterizes the mechanical oscillation (16), is measured and analyzed, whereby at least one response value that characterizes the current gas pressure in the tire is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Dennis Pape, Peter Hofmann
  • Patent number: 11761852
    Abstract: A road simulation test system and method for testing torsional strain input to an axle assembly having an input shaft and a suspension system, including a torque input module configured to apply rotary torque to the axle assembly. The torque input module includes a rotary actuator, a torsional load cell, a drive shaft connection portion, and a controller in communication with the rotary actuator and the torsional load cell, wherein upon receipt of an instruction from the controller, the rotary actuator is configured to rotate the input shaft to apply the rotary torque to the axle assembly, and as the rotary actuator rotates the input shaft, a signal indicative of a torsional load is communicated by the torsional load cell to the controller to monitor the rotary torque applied to the axle assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey Duic, Dan Pereira, Dan Pannunzio, Steven Fabischek
  • Patent number: 11761811
    Abstract: A measurement method includes: a step of acquiring, based on observation information obtained by an observation device, first observation point information including a time point when each of a plurality of parts of a moving object passes a first observation point of a structure and a physical quantity which is a response to an action of each of the plurality of parts on the first observation point; a step of acquiring, based on the observation information, second observation point information including a time point when each of the plurality of parts passes a second observation point and a physical quantity which is a response to an action of each of the plurality of parts on the second observation point; a step of calculating, based on the first observation point information, the second observation point information, a predetermined coefficient, and an approximate expression of deflection of the structure, a deflection waveform of the structure generated by each of the plurality of parts; and a step of calc
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11759187
    Abstract: A foot switch (1, 26) for use with a medical device (16, 27, 28) comprises an interface (10) for a communications link between the foot switch (1, 26) and a control unit (12) of the device (16, 27, 28) and comprises at least one pedal (2, 3) for operating the foot switch (1, 26) using a foot. An operation sensor (17) captures an operation of the foot switch (1, 26) for switching a function of the medical device (16, 27, 28). The control unit (12) assigns the function to the pedal (2, 3) via the interface (10) and the assigned function is displayed on the foot switch (1, 26) by a multicolor LED (4, 5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: KARL STORZ SE & CO KG
    Inventors: Alexander Sabo, Carina Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 11754470
    Abstract: The present disclosure belongs to the technical field of tests of automobile wheels and automobile chassis suspension systems, and provides a simulated pavement rotary drum and automobile test equipment. A simulated cobblestone pavement, and a simulated impact pavement, so that a testing pavement at a test field is reproduced; an impact load caused by the track pavement, the cobblestone pavement, and the impact pavement can be applied to wheels and a chassis system; and a road simulation test of wheels and a suspension system of an automobile can be performed on bench test equipment. As verified, the simulated pavement rotary drum of the present disclosure can reproduce the simulated track pavement at the test field; and the consistency of radial impact loads is greater than 95% at the same speed and under the same vehicle load operating condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: CITIC Dicastal Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shide Li, Desheng Chen, Zhigao Yin, Jun Wang, Zuo Xu, Hanqi Wu
  • Patent number: 11746718
    Abstract: A control device includes a controller configured to: obtain a driving condition and an actual value of a controlled amount of an engine; use a transformed engine model to calculate an estimate value of a future controlled amount, from the obtained driving condition and a candidate value of an operation amount for controlling the controlled amount, the transformed engine model in which an activation function of each neuron is transformed using a linear inequality function having a binary variable, the transformed engine model for which a weight coefficient, bias, and upper and lower limits of an input/output variable of the each neuron are set based on an engine model that has a multilayer neural structure and the activation function of a ReLU structure, receives the driving condition and operation amount as input, and predicts dynamic characteristics of the engine; determine a value of the operation amount, based on error between the calculated estimate value and a target value of the controlled amount ident
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignees: TRANSTRON INC., KOGAKUIN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Masatoshi Ogawa, Takuma Degawa, Masakazu Mukai, Shigeaki Kurita
  • Patent number: 11738604
    Abstract: A sensor retaining system for a vehicle tire is provided. The tire includes a pair of sidewalls extending from a respective bead area to a tread, which is formed with a plurality of tread elements. A sensor unit is mounted to the tire and includes a pair of electrical contacts. A tread wear sensor extends into one of the tread elements and includes a wire. The wire includes proximal ends, each one of which contacts a sensor unit electrical contact to create an electrical circuit. A flexible container is mounted to an innerliner of the tire. A cup includes a base and a sidewall that cooperate to form a cavity, and a bottom of the tread wear sensor and the sensor unit are received in the cavity. The cup maintains a connection between the electrical contacts and the wire proximal ends, and is disposed in the flexible container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Junling Zhao, Peter Jung-min Suh, Jeffrey McKay West, Arun Kumar Byatarayanapura Gopala, Michael William Kestner, Andrew Peter Killmeyer
  • Patent number: 11740824
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises at least one processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory. The at least one processing device is configured to obtain usage information for each of two or more storage systems of a storage cluster, and to determine a wear level of each of the storage systems of the storage cluster based at least in part on the obtained usage information. The at least one processing device is also configured to identify a wear level imbalance of the storage cluster based at least in part on the determined wear levels of each of the storage systems of the storage cluster. The at least one processing device is further configured, responsive to the identified wear level imbalance of the storage cluster being greater than an imbalance threshold, to move storage objects between the storage systems of the storage cluster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Chi Chen, Hailan Dong
  • Patent number: 11738805
    Abstract: An estimation device for estimating a friction coefficient of a road surface includes a sensor, a moment calculator, and a friction coefficient estimator. The sensor is configured to detect a force acting on a wheel. The moment calculator is configured to calculate a moment around a vertical axis at a center of a ground contact load of a tire of the wheel based on an output of the sensor. The friction coefficient estimator is configured to estimate the friction coefficient of the road surface with which the tire is in contact, based on the moment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Goichi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11724552
    Abstract: A transmitter is configured to be attached to each of wheel assemblies in a vehicle and execute a process in accordance with a command included in a trigger signal. The transmitter includes a condition detecting section, a trigger receiving section which receives, as the trigger signal, an unmodulated wave having a received signal strength indication a transmitting section, and a controlling section. When the trigger receiving section receives the unmodulated wave, the controlling section causes the transmitting section to transmit the signal in response to the unmodulated wave. The controlling section is configured to execute an accumulation process to accumulate reception time of the unmodulated wave from a starting point in time, and shift into a restriction state to restrict a response to the unmodulated wave when the accumulated reception time reaches a predetermined time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: PACIFIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yasuhisa Tsujita
  • Patent number: 11712931
    Abstract: A tire pressure monitoring device of an electric vehicle includes a wheel speed sensor sensing a speed of each wheel of the electric vehicle, and a controller selectively calculating an intercept value of ?FR and a cumulative average value of the ?FR based on a difference between a torque of a front wheel motor and a torque of a rear wheel motor, calculating an intercept value of ?LR and an intercept value of ?Diag based on the speed of each wheel, and monitoring a tire pressure of each wheel based on the calculated intercept value of the ?FR or the cumulative average value of the ?FR, the calculated intercept value of the ?LR, and the calculated intercept value of the ?Diag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Han Seon Ga, Sang Wook Han
  • Patent number: 11707948
    Abstract: There is provided a computerized system comprising a processing unit and associated memory configured to obtain a three-dimensional dataset informative of at least part of a tread of a tire, and determine, using the three-dimensional dataset, data informative of tread depth of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: UVEYE LTD.
    Inventors: Roman Shklyar, Ilya Grinshpoun, Danny Grossman, Ilia Shapiro
  • Patent number: 11701923
    Abstract: A tread portion has an outer tread end that is positioned on an outer side of a vehicle when mounted to the vehicle, a plurality of circumferential grooves that extend continuously in a tire circumferential direction, and a plurality of land portions that are defined by the circumferential grooves. The circumferential grooves include an outer circumferential groove that extends adjacently to a tire equator in a region closer to the outer tread end than the tire equator is. The land portions include an outer shoulder land portion that is defined between the outer circumferential groove and the outer tread end so as to continuously extend therebetween in a tire axial direction, and that has the largest width in the tire axial direction among the land portions. The outer shoulder land portion has a first outer lateral groove that extends inward in the tire axial direction and terminates in the outer shoulder land portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Kiyotaka Ueyama
  • Patent number: 11703423
    Abstract: A method for testing the wear of tires running on a rolling road comprises the following steps: using the construction data of the vehicle and a dynamic equilibrium model, determining the relationship between the speed and the accelerations at the centre of gravity of the vehicle, and the angles and directional forces applied on a given axle; continuously recording the speed and the accelerations of a vehicle travelling on a predetermined route; and disposing the two tires belonging to a same axle on the rolling road and, depending on the recorded speed and acceleration values, the values of the angle of camber, load and longitudinal forces are applied, at all times, on each of the wheels of the axle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventor: Dominique Cettour-Janet
  • Patent number: 11703422
    Abstract: A fastening system for fastening an electronic device (2) in a measurement housing (1), comprising: an electronic-device holder (10) designed to accommodate an electronic measurement device (2); and a prestressing ring (20) that is able to cooperate with said holder (10) for assembly and comprises a plurality of prestressing beams (22, 25) designed to bear on said electronic device (2) when said ring is assembled together with the holder, said electronic device (2) being inserted into said holder (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Vianney Leroy, Denis Martin
  • Patent number: 11691465
    Abstract: Embodiments included herein are directed towards a method for estimating tire load. Embodiments may include determining a tire pressure associated with a tire and determining a tire angular velocity associated with the tire. Embodiments may further include obtaining one or more tire stiffness coefficients and determining a tire radial deformation based upon, at least in part, a length of a tire ground contact patch or a contact patch angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: SENSATA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Ian S. Elliott, William D. Stewart
  • Patent number: RE49844
    Abstract: A surface profiler including at least one front support wheel and at least one rear support wheel for travelling along the surface of a profile to be measured, the rotational axes of said wheels being longitudinally spaced, and the wheels contacting the surface being profiled in a collinear manner. A frame carried on the wheels carries at least one inclinometer and at least two vertical distance measuring apparatus such as lasers, and may also carry an optical encoder. The lasers are collinear with each other and with the wheels. Incremental to measurements of inclination angles provided by the inclinometer, together with incremental measurements of distance to the surface being measured provided by the lasers, produce a continuous, high resolution mathematical series of elevations representing the surface profile, including reproduction of surface features that are smaller than the distance between the wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Inventor: Paul Toom