Abstract: A method of calculating deflection of a rotating tire, through high speed data processing, based on measurement time series data of acceleration on a tire tread portion has the following steps. A step of acquiring measurement time series data of acceleration on a tire circumference in a radial direction of a rotating tire; a step of extracting acceleration data in a vicinity of a contact region from the acquired measurement data and subjecting the extracted acceleration data to least-square regression using a second-order differential function expression of a deflection function expression that represents a peak shape having a peak value and a curve gradually approaching to zero on both sides thereof, whereby a deflection function parameter values are determined; and a step of calculating a contact deflection from the deflection function expression determined by the deflection function parameter values.

Abstract: At least one of ground contact pressure, shear stress and amount of skidding is measured at a measurement point on a tread surface of a tire. A sensor is arranged on a road surface and the measurement point is made to contact the sensor while the tire rotates. An initial position of the tire is set, where the measurement point is at a previously-set reference position and the tire is at a running start position on the road surface. The tire is made to run from the initial position to obtain a rotation angle difference ? between a tire rotation angle until the rotation axis of the tire passes over the arrangement position of the sensor and a tire rotation angle until the measurement point contacts the road surface. The tire is set at the initial position and rotated by ? without changing the running start position of the tire.

Abstract: At least one of ground contact pressure, shear stress and amount of skidding is measured at a measurement point on a tread surface of a tire. A sensor is arranged on a road surface and the measurement point is made to contact the sensor while the tire rotates. An initial position of the tire is set, where the measurement point is at a previously-set reference position and the tire is at a running start position on the road surface. The tire is made to run from the initial position to obtain a rotation angle difference ? between a tire rotation angle until the rotation axis of the tire passes over the arrangement position of the sensor and a tire rotation angle until the measurement point contacts the road surface. The tire is set at the initial position and rotated by ? without changing the running start position of the tire.

Abstract: A tire attitude control device comprises: detecting unit that detects the respective ground contact states at two tire measurement positions on the tire shoulder side, each the same distance away from a tire center position in a direction opposite a tire width direction, at the same position in a tire peripheral direction; calculating unit that calculates the respective ground contact lengths at said two tire measurement positions at least once per tire rotation, based on said ground contact states detected by said detecting unit; and control unit that generates, when a ratio of two ground contact lengths calculated by said calculating unit is out of a predetermined range that includes 1, a control signal for controlling a camber angle of a tire so that said ratio approaches 1 and outputs the control signal to said suspension control device.

Abstract: A workability evaluating apparatus comprises a myoelectric potential detecting unit, a signal processing unit, an arithmetic operation unit, and an output unit. The myoelectric potential detecting unit detects time-series fluctuations in myoelectric potentials of at least one pair of muscles, which show antagonistic activities while operating equipment among muscles of an operator used to operate the equipment, as myoelectric potential signals. The signal processing unit processes the detected myoelectric potentials. The arithmetic operation unit calculates time-series data of a first correlation coefficient in a specified sampling time between signals obtained by processing the myoelectric potential signals from the pair of antagonistic muscles, and performs evaluation of workability in operating the equipment by using the calculated time-series data. The output unit outputs a result of the performed evaluation.

Abstract: The driving skill evaluating apparatus is an apparatus that evaluates the driving skill of a driver who drives a vehicle. The evaluating apparatus includes: driver load measurement means for measuring the degree of physical load on the driver in a driving operation activity of the vehicle; driving operation quantity measurement means for measuring the quantity of driving operation performed by the driver for the vehicle in the driving operation activity; and evaluation means for evaluating the driving skill of the driver by using the degree of the physical load on the driver and the quantity of driving operation.

Abstract: A tire attitude control device comprises: detecting unit that detects the respective ground contact states at two tire measurement positions on the tire shoulder side, each the same distance away from a tire center position in a direction opposite a tire width direction, at the same position in a tire peripheral direction; calculating unit that calculates the respective ground contact lengths at said two tire measurement positions at least once per tire rotation, based on said ground contact states detected by said detecting unit; and control unit that generates, when a ratio of two ground contact lengths calculated by said calculating unit is out of a predetermined range that includes 1, a control signal for controlling a camber angle of a tire so that said ratio approaches 1 and outputs the control signal to said suspension control device.

Abstract: In this tyre managing apparatus, with regard to respective tyres, the back-and-forth force and the lateral force which are added to each of tyres are calculated based on the distances which are distance between each tyre and the center of gravity in the back-and-forth direction, the inertia moment of the vehicle, the vehicle weight of the vehicle, and the loads added to each of the tyres, which are as specification data of the vehicle, and based on the longitudinal acceleration, the lateral acceleration, and the yew angle acceleration, which are as state quantities of the vehicle. Also, the calculated results are memorized in the transponders of corresponding tyres.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for evaluating the degree of work comfort of a user is disclosed. A pair of sensors detect myoelectric potentials of a pair of bilaterally symmetrical muscles. A waveform processing unit generates a synchronous contraction waveform by either using the smaller value between signals from the two muscles at a given time, or by determining the geometric mean between the signals at a given time. An evaluation unit uses the intensity or frequency information from the synchronous contraction waveform to evaluate the user's level of comfort performing a task such as driving.

Abstract: A method of calculating deflection of a rotating tire, through high speed data processing, based on measurement time series data of acceleration on a tire tread portion has the following steps. A step of acquiring measurement time series data of acceleration on a tire circumference in a radial direction of a rotating tire; a step of extracting acceleration data in a vicinity of a contact region from the acquired measurement data and subjecting the extracted acceleration data to least-square regression using a second-order differential function expression of a deflection function expression that represents a peak shape having a peak value and a curve gradually approaching to zero on both sides thereof, whereby a deflection function parameter values are determined; and a step of calculating a contact deflection from the deflection function expression determined by the deflection function parameter values.

Abstract: A work comfort evaluating device is a device for evaluating a level of comfort of work by measuring myoelectric potentials of plural muscles when the work is done by antagonistic activities of the muscles. The device has a pair of detecting sensors, an amplifier, a signal processing part, a work-load intensity calculating part, and an evaluation part. The sensors sense myoelectric potentials of the muscles at a time of the work. The signal processing part calculates a synchronous contraction intensity of the muscles by using myoelectric potential waveforms. The work-load intensity calculating part calculates a level of a work load intensity in the work. The evaluation part evaluates a level of comfort of the work by normalizing the synchronous contraction intensity by the level of the work load intensity calculated.

Abstract: A stress-at-work evaluating device evaluates a stress of a subject at work by measuring activities of one of the right and the left masseter muscles, the work including exercise of arms or feet of the subject. The device evaluates the stress from a normalized intensity of the myoelectric potential one of the right and the left masseter muscles. The normalized intensity is calculated by dividing the intensity of the measured myoelectric potential of the masseter muscles by the level of the external force acting on the head of the subject at work.

Abstract: A stress-at-work judging apparatus, program, and method for judging the stress exerted on the subject at work such as steering of a vehicle by the subject. An myoelectric potential signal of the masseter muscle is inputted during an object work carried out by the activity of muscles independent of the activity of the masseter muscle opening/closing the jaw of the subject. The myoelectric potential signal representing a change of the activity of the masseter muscle and generated when the object work acts as a stressor of the subject is used to judge the stress. A camera or microphone is disposed near the subject to exclude the period during which the subject speaks or masticate by using the masseter muscle independently of the object work from the object period during which stress is judged.

Abstract: A deformation of a rotating tire on a road surface is calculated the following. At first, time series data of acceleration extracted from measurement data of acceleration corresponding to one round of tire rotation is subjected to a time integration of second order to obtain displacement data so as to calculate the deformation at the tread portion. The time series data of acceleration and the displacement data in the non-contact region excluding a road surface contact region on the tire circumference at the tread portion are respectively approximated to calculate a first and a second approximation curves. The two approximation curves are subtracted respectively from the time series data of acceleration and the calculated displacement data, thereby extracting time series data of acceleration due to tire deformation and obtaining the deformation at the tread portion.

Abstract: During a driving activity of an automobile, a work characteristic evaluating apparatus is provided for judging a factor (a physical work load or a mental load) of stress that a work activity places on the worker to evaluate a work characteristic. The work characteristic evaluating apparatus 1 comprises a masseter muscle myoelectric potential acqusition device 10 which measures and acquires myoelectric potential of a masseter muscle which moves independently of the driving activity of the driver, a work intensity acquisition device 20 which measures and acquires steering torque around the steering shaft as a work intensity of steering activity, a correlation calculating module 38 which computes a correlation between time-series data of the myoelectric potential of the masseter muscle and time-series data of the steering torque, and a judgment module 39 which judges whether the stress placed on the worker is caused by a physical work load or a mental load based on the correlation coefficient.

Abstract: The driving skill evaluating apparatus is an apparatus that evaluates the driving skill of a driver who drives a vehicle. The evaluating apparatus includes: driver load measurement means for measuring the degree of physical load on the driver in a driving operation activity of the vehicle; driving operation quantity measurement means for measuring the quantity of driving operation performed by the driver for the vehicle in the driving operation activity; and evaluation means for evaluating the driving skill of the driver by using the degree of the physical load on the driver and the quantity of driving operation.

Abstract: During a driving activity of an automobile, a work characteristic evaluating apparatus is provided for judging a factor (a physical work load or a mental load) of stress that a work activity places on the worker to evaluate a work characteristic. The work characteristic evaluating apparatus 1 comprises a masseter muscle myoelectric potential acqusition device 10 which measures and acquires myoelectric potential of a masseter muscle which moves independently of the driving activity of the driver, a work intensity acquisition device 20 which measures and acquires steering torque around the steering shaft as a work intensity of steering activity, a correlation calculating module 38 which computes a correlation between time-series data of the myoelectric potential of the masseter muscle and time-series data of the steering torque, and a judgment module 39 which judges whether the stress placed on the worker is caused by a physical work load or a mental load based on the correlation coefficient.

Abstract: A deformation of a rotating tire on a road surface is calculated the following. At first, time series data of acceleration extracted from measurement data of acceleration corresponding to one round of tire rotation is subjected to a time integration of second order to obtain displacement data so as to calculate the deformation at the tread portion. The time series data of acceleration and the displacement data in the non-contact region excluding a road surface contact region on the tire circumference at the tread portion are respectively approximated to calculate a first and a second approximation curves. The two approximation curves are subtracted respectively from the time series data of acceleration and the calculated displacement data, thereby extracting time series data of acceleration due to tire deformation and obtaining the deformation at the tread portion.

Abstract: A workability evaluating apparatus, comprises a myoelectric potential detecting unit, a signal processing unit, an arithmetic operation unit, an evaluation unit, and an output unit. The myoelectric potential detecting unit detects time-series fluctuations in myoelectric potentials of at least one pair of muscles, which show antagonistic activities in operating an eqipment among muscles of an operator used to operate the equipment, as myoelectric potential signals. The signal processing unit processes the detected myoelectric potentials. The arithmetic operation unit calculates time-series data of a first correlation coefficient in a specified sampling time between signals obtained by processing the myoelectric potential signals from the pair of antagonistic muscles.

Abstract: A work pleasantness evaluating device and method for evaluating the pleasantness of a work of any type such as steering of a vehicle by a driver. Myogenic potentials of a pair of muscles symmetrically present in a human body, produced by a myogenic activity of the human body during a work are measured and amplified. From the time-series waveforms of the pair of the amplified myogenic potentials, a synchronous contraction waveform of the pair of muscles is generated. From the information on the intensity of the generated synchronous contraction waveform or the information on the frequency at a predetermined intensity range, the level of the pleasantness of the work is evaluated.