Patents by Inventor Thomas Ledoux

Thomas Ledoux has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11562601
    Abstract: A method for providing a service linked to the condition and/or behavior of a vehicle and/or of a tire comprises the following steps: when a vehicle passes a road infrastructure equipped with a system for assessing the condition of a vehicle, determining an identifier of the vehicle and/or of a tire of the vehicle, at the same time, determining at least one parameter representative of the condition of the vehicle and/or of a component of the vehicle, transmitting the determined data to a remote data server, from the identification data, retrieving external data concerning the vehicle and/or the tire and/or the running conditions, combining the determined information with the external data such as to determine a relevant indicator concerning the condition and/or the behavior of a vehicle, and transmitting the relevant indicator to a provider of a service linked to the condition and/or to the behavior of a vehicle and/or of a tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Thomas Ledoux, Nicolas Fangeat
  • Patent number: 11450212
    Abstract: The method for organizing a group of several separate vehicles in a platoon includes an identification step (a) in order to identify the candidate vehicles that are to form the platoonp The method also includes an acquisition step (b) in order to acquire, for each candidate vehicle, at least one parameter associated with a tire of the candidate vehicle, such as the wet grip index of the tire tyre, referred to as the “tire parameter”. Subsequently, based on the tire parameter, a processing step (c) for determining the rank attributed to the particular candidate vehicle in the platoon and/or the inter-vehicle distance which, at a given speed, must separate the candidate vehicle in question from the vehicle immediately in front in the platoon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin
    Inventors: Frederic Domprobst, Nicolas Fangeat, Thomas Ledoux
  • Patent number: 10876826
    Abstract: A system is provided for measuring a thickness of rubber layer of a tire. The layer includes a joined face, which is joined to an adjacent metal reinforcement, and a free face in contact with air. The system includes a casing with an application face for contacting the free face, and a sensor positioned in the casing and structured to measure a distance d between the joined face and the free face. The sensor includes a source coil and an adjacent sensing element. The source coil is a source of an alternating magnetic field. The sensing element includes a sensing device configured to produce an output signal that is dependent on an induced local magnetic field. An excitation power and a frequency of the source coil are such that the local magnetic field induced between the reinforcement and the source coil increases in strength as the distance d decreases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin
    Inventors: Thomas Ledoux, Grégory Michaud, Denis Martin, Patrick Meneroud
  • Publication number: 20200388164
    Abstract: The method for organizing a group of several separate vehicles in a platoon includes an identification step (a) in order to identify the candidate vehicles that are to form the platoonp The method also includes an acquisition step (b) in order to acquire, for each candidate vehicle, at least one parameter associated with a tire of the candidate vehicle, such as the wet grip index of the tire tyre, referred to as the “tire parameter”. Subsequently, based on the tire parameter, a processing step (c) for determining the rank attributed to the particular candidate vehicle in the platoon and/or the inter-vehicle distance which, at a given speed, must separate the candidate vehicle in question from the vehicle immediately in front in the platoon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: Frederic DOMPROBST, Nicolas FANGEAT, Thomas LEDOUX
  • Patent number: 10712238
    Abstract: A system for evaluating a condition of a tire includes a housing placed on a ground surface, a wear detector that detects a wear condition of the tire when the tire passes over the housing, a tire presence detector that detects a presence of the tire over the housing, and an electronic activator that activates the wear detector during detection of the presence of the tire by the tire presence detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin
    Inventors: Thomas Ledoux, Denis Martin, Guillaume Heredia, Alexandre Pernot
  • Publication number: 20200158692
    Abstract: A method for determining a running parameter of a vehicle travelling on a road, based on a measurement of a sound signal produced by a tire of the vehicle, and on measurements and estimations of running conditions effected in real time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2018
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: THOMAS LEDOUX, BENOIT GANDAR
  • Patent number: 10639945
    Abstract: A system is provided for assessing a condition of a tire. The system includes first and second individual modules, a data transmission gateway, and a collaboration device. The first and second individual modules are for assessing the condition of the tire. Each of the first and second individual modules includes a housing, which is structured to be placed on a ground surface, and a data transmitter. The housing includes at least one detector arranged to enable a parameter of the tire to be assessed as the tire passes over the housing. The data transmission gateway is structured to transmit data between the first and second individual modules and a remote database. The collaboration device is structured to enable data from the first individual module to be used collaboratively with data from the second individual module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin
    Inventors: Thomas Ledoux, Denis Martin, Alexandre Pernot, Guillaume Heredia
  • Publication number: 20200126323
    Abstract: A method for providing a service linked to the condition and/or behavior of a vehicle and/or of a tire comprises the following steps: when a vehicle passes a road infrastructure equipped with a system for assessing the condition of a vehicle, determining an identifier of the vehicle and/or of a tire of the vehicle, at the same time, determining at least one parameter representative of the condition of the vehicle and/or of a component of the vehicle, transmitting the determined data to a remote data server, from the identification data, retrieving external data concerning the vehicle and/or the tire and/or the running conditions, combining the determined information with the external data such as to determine a relevant indicator concerning the condition and/or the behavior of a vehicle, and transmitting the relevant indicator to a provider of a service linked to the condition and/or to the behavior of a vehicle and/or of a tire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Inventors: THOMAS LEDOUX, NICOLAS FANGEAT
  • Publication number: 20200122521
    Abstract: A system for assessing the condition of a vehicle comprises: a subsystem for measuring the condition of at least one tire of the vehicle, a subsystem for reading identification data of a tire and/or of the vehicle, and a subsystem for transmitting measured data and identification data to a remote database, the three subsystems being installed in one or more casings designed to be installed on or near a road infrastructure, at least one of the casings being designed to be installed in a mandatory travel zone of the road infrastructure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Inventors: THOMAS LEDOUX, NICOLAS FANGEAT
  • Patent number: 10591376
    Abstract: A method for detecting an underflation state of a tire fitted on a vehicle is provided. The method includes determining a first contact patch measurement of a first tire fitted on the vehicle, determining a second contact patch measurement of a second tire fitted on the vehicle, and comparing the first and second contact patch measurements. An underinflation situation is inferred if a difference between the first and second contact patch measurements is greater than a predetermined signalling threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin
    Inventors: Thomas Ledoux, Denis Martin, Guillaume Heredia, Alexandre Pernot
  • Patent number: 10527465
    Abstract: A system for counting wheel revolutions made by a wheel of a vehicle, the system including an electronic counter, a transmitter, a housing, and a connector. The electronic counter counts a number of wheel revolutions made by the wheel. The transmitter transmits data from the electronic counter to a remote database. The housing houses the electronic counter. The connector removably attaches the housing to a nut anti-loosening device installed on the wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin
    Inventors: Thomas Ledoux, Denis Martin, Guillaume Heredia, Alexandre Pernot
  • Patent number: 10222299
    Abstract: A system, which is structured to evaluate a condition of a tire, includes a housing, a tire-wear detector, a tire-presence detector, and an electronic activator. The housing, when the system is deployed, is placed on a ground surface. The tire-presence detector detects a presence of a tire on the housing. The electronic activator activates the tire-wear detector when the tire-presence detector detects the presence of the tire on the housing. The tire-wear detector, when activated, detects a wear condition of the tire when the tire passes over the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin
    Inventors: Thomas Ledoux, Alexandre Pernot, Denis Martin, Alexandre Pagès, Timothée Forissier, Guillaume Heredia, Frank Claeyssen
  • Patent number: 10190863
    Abstract: A method is provided for measuring a thickness of a layer of rubber-like material. The layer of rubber-like material includes a free face in contact with air and a face joined to an adjacent reinforcement made of elements electrically insulated from one another. Each of the elements includes at least one hysteretic material having a magnetic permeability greater than the magnetic permeability of air. According to the method, a sensitive element, which emits an alternating magnetic field, is brought towards the layer of rubber-like material whose thickness is to be measured, hysteretic losses in the adjacent reinforcement are measured at terminals of the sensitive element, and a thickness of the layer of rubber-like material is evaluated based on the hysteretic losses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin
    Inventors: Thomas Ledoux, Denis Martin, Alexandre Pernot, Guillaume Heredia, Patrick Meneroud, Cédric Goeau
  • Patent number: 10113855
    Abstract: A system for measuring a thickness of a layer of rubber material of a tire includes a sensor. The layer includes a joined face, which is joined to an adjacent metal reinforcement, and a free face, which is in contact with air. The sensor, which measures a distance d between the joined face and the free face, includes a source of a static magnetic field and a sensitive element whose output signal is a function of a level of a local magnetic field. The sensor is positioned in such a way that a magnetic field strength measured by the sensitive element varies when the distance d decreases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin
    Inventors: Thomas Ledoux, Denis Martin, Patrick Meneroud, Grégory Michaud
  • Publication number: 20180215211
    Abstract: A system is provided for assessing a condition of a tire. The system includes first and second individual modules, a data transmission gateway, and a collaboration device. The first and second individual modules are for assessing the condition of the tire. Each of the first and second individual modules includes a housing, which is structured to be placed on a ground surface, and a data transmitter. The housing includes at least one detector arranged to enable a parameter of the tire to be assessed as the tire passes over the housing. The data transmission gateway is structured to transmit data between the first and second individual modules and a remote database. The collaboration device is structured to enable data from the first individual module to be used collaboratively with data from the second individual module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Inventors: THOMAS LEDOUX, DENIS MARTIN, ALEXANDRE PERNOT, GUILLAUME HEREDIA
  • Publication number: 20180113010
    Abstract: A system for counting wheel revolutions made by a wheel of a vehicle includes an electronic counter, a transmitter, a housing, and a removable connector. The electronic counter is structured to count a number of wheel revolutions made by the wheel. The transmitter is structured to transmit data from the electronic counter to a remote database. The housing is structured to receive and house the electronic counter. The removable connector is structured to removably attach the housing to a nut anti-loosening device installed on the wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Inventors: Thomas LEDOUX, Denis MARTIN, Guillaume HEREDIA, Alexandre PERNOT
  • Publication number: 20180009271
    Abstract: A speed evaluation system is provided for assessing a speed of a vehicle. The speed evaluation system includes a wear measurement system, which assesses a state of a tire of the vehicle. The wear measurement system includes a casing placed on a ground surface. The speed evaluation system further includes a timing device that determines at least two instants of passage of the vehicle over two distinct or non-distinct points of passage of the casing of the wear measurement system, and a processor that calculates, as a function of the instants of passage and of dimensional data of the casing and/or dimensional data of the vehicle, a speed of passage of the vehicle over the casing. A method of implementing the speed evaluation system also is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventors: THOMAS LEDOUX, DENIS MARTIN, GUILLAUME HEREDIA, ALEXANDRE PERNOT
  • Publication number: 20170350792
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system for evaluating the condition of a tire, the system comprising a first housing placed on the ground and a device for detecting the wear of a tire when the tire passes over said first housing, said system further comprising a first device for detecting the presence of a tire over the first housing, and electronic means for activating the wear detecting device during the detection of the presence of a tire by the presence detecting device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Inventors: THOMAS LEDOUX, DENIS MARTIN, GUILLAUME HEREDIA, ALEXANDRE PERNOT
  • Publication number: 20170350781
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for detecting the underflation state of a tire fitted on a vehicle, the method comprising the following steps: the step of determining a first contact patch measurement of a first tire fitted on the vehicle, the step of determining a second contact patch measurement of a second tire fitted on the vehicle, the step of comparing the first and second contact patch measurements and of inferring an underinflation situation therefrom if the difference between the two measurements is greater than a predetermined signalling threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Inventors: THOMAS LEDOUX, DENIS MARTIN, GUILLAUME HEREDIA, ALEXANDRE PERNOT
  • Publication number: 20170322012
    Abstract: A method is provided for measuring a thickness of a layer of rubber-like material. The layer of rubber-like material includes a free face in contact with air and a face joined to an adjacent reinforcement made of elements electrically insulated from one another. Each of the elements includes at least one hysteretic material having a magnetic permeability greater than the magnetic permeability of air. According to the method, a sensitive element, which emits an alternating magnetic field, is brought towards the layer of rubber-like material whose thickness is to be measured, hysteretic losses in the adjacent reinforcement are measured at terminals of the sensitive element, and a thickness of the layer of rubber-like material is evaluated based on the hysteretic losses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Inventors: THOMAS LEDOUX, DENIS MARTIN, ALEXANDRE PERNOT, GUILLAUME HEREDIA, PATRICK MENEROUD, CÉDRIC GOEAU