US 2014O180534A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2014/0180534 A1 Son (43) Pub. Date: Jun. 26, 2014 (54) TIRE TREAD TEMPERATURE SENSOR AND Publication Classification DAGNOSTICS FOR IN-VEHICLE DISPLAY (51) Int. Cl. (71) Applicant: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc., B60C23/20 (2006.01) (US) (52) U.S. Cl. CPC ...................................... B60C23/20 (2013.01) (72) Inventor: Young Son, Glenview, IL (US) USPC .............................................. 701/34.4; 701/1 (57) ABSTRACT (73) Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE A tire tread temperature sensing and display apparatus, sys SYSTEMS, INC., Auburn Hills, MI tem and method are disclosed. The apparatus comprises a (US) temperature sensor, a controller and a display. The sensor is configured to be mounted to a vehicle and to sense tire tread temperature. The controller is configured to receive and pro (21) Appl. No.: 13/725,941 cess temperature measurements and to communicate to a display, the display configured to display temperature related information in response to communication from the control (22) Filed: Dec. 21, 2012 ler. 100 Patent Application Publication Jun. 26, 2014 Sheet 1 of 6 US 2014/0180534 A1 FIG. 1 Patent Application Publication Jun. 26, 2014 Sheet 2 of 6 US 2014/0180534 A1 102 102 110 104 104 k FIG. 2 FIG. 3 502 102 102 406 FIG. 4 FIG. 5 Patent Application Publication Jun. 26, 2014 Sheet 3 of 6 US 2014/0180534 A1 102 602 104 604 104 606 FIG. 6 FIG. 7 102 p 802 104 804 /k 806 FIG. 8 FIG. 9 Patent Application Publication Jun. 26, 2014 Sheet 4 of 6 US 2014/0180534 A1 1000 M DISPLAY 1010 MEASUREMENTRECEIVE -1102 PROCESSOR 1006 1004 ANALYZE 1104 READABLEMEDIUMCOMPUTER 1008 DAGNOSE 1106 FIG 10 FIG. 11 Text Display Option Front Tires Average 197.7 F Rear Tires Average 168.8F Front Tires are hotter than the Rear. Vehicle is Pushing/ Understeering. Problem I Solution: (1) Front Spring or Sway Bartoo stiff or not enough stiffness in Rear Spring or Sway Bar (2) Front air pressure too low or Rear air pressure too high (3) Front Tires are too narrow or Rear Tires are too Wide FIG. 12 Patent Application Publication Jun. 26, 2014 Sheet 5 of 6 US 2014/0180534 A1 FIG. 13 Patent Application Publication Jun. 26, 2014 Sheet 6 of 6 US 2014/0180534 A1 99% grip available 71% grip available 1912 FAVG 202.2 FAVG FIG. 14 US 2014/01 80534 A1 Jun. 26, 2014 TIRE TREAD TEMPERATURE SENSOR AND mentis Substantially reduced attemperatures approaching the DAGNOSTICS FOR IN-VEHICLE DISPLAY glass transition temperature of the compound. However, it will be understood that although all-season tires are designed BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS and compounded to mitigate the loss of traction at lower temperatures at the cost of optimal traction at higher tempera 0001 For a more complete understanding of the disclo tures, the phenomenon of reduced traction in lower tempera sure, reference should be made to the following detailed tures and increased traction at higher temperatures nonethe description and accompanying drawings wherein: less affects all-season tires, albeit to a lesser degree. 0002 FIG. 1 comprises a schematic top view of a car fitted 0012. In addition, when some tires become too hot, they with temperature measuring devices; become slippery or greasy thus also loosing traction. For 0003 FIGS. 2-5 comprise schematic side views of various example, for Street tires the maximum operating temperature exemplary configurations oftemperature measuring devices; is generally below 180F for DOT-R tires the typical recom 0004 FIGS. 6-9 comprise schematic top views of various mended operating temperature is between 180-200F, for rac various exemplary configurations of temperature measuring ing slicks the maximum operating temperature is over 200F. devices; It should be understood that the preceding operating ranges 0005 FIG. 10 comprises a schematic view of a system for are only examples. Actual operating temperatures depend on processing temperature measurements; the manufacturer, design, and tire compound used. 0006 FIG. 11 comprises a schematic view of the method 0013 Since tire traction is an important characteristic of for processing temperature measurements; the tire, it is desirable to measure or estimate this tire charac 0007 FIG. 12 comprises an exemplary text display screen; teristic at least based on measurements of factors that affect it, 0008 FIG. 13 comprises an exemplary pictorial display Such as, for example, temperature, and more precisely tire Screen; temperature, tire tread temperature, driving Surface tempera 0009 FIG. 14 comprises a partial advanced exemplary ture, or otherwise. pictorial display Screen. 0014 With reference to FIG.4, one way of sensing the tire 0010 Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the temperature is through the use of wheel mounted sensors 408, figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not Such as, for example, tire pressure monitoring system necessarily been drawn to Scale. For example, the size dimen (TPMS) sensors which sense or measure, often among others, sions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the temperature and pressure of the gas inflating the tire and the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to transmit the data to a receiver for potential analysis. While, help to improve understanding of various aspects of the this method is often very convenient, it does not serve as a present invention. Also, common but well-understood ele good indicator of the temperature of the tire tread and espe ments that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible cially the tire tread surface, which is chiefly responsible for embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less tire traction, because tire compounds and inflation gases are obstructed view of these various aspects of the present inven good thermal insulators. tion. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that certain actions (0015 With reference to FIG.5, another way of sensing the and/or steps may be described or depicted in aparticular order tire tread temperature is by using a tire pyrometer probe 504. of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand The tire pyrometer probe 504 after being inserted into the that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually treadblocks are often the most accurate tire tread temperature required. It will also be understood that the terms and expres sensors. However tire pyrometer probes can be typically sions used herein have the ordinary meaning as is accorded to inserted only when the tires are not moving, for example Such terms and expressions with respect to their correspond while stopped at red lights or during pit stops. Nonetheless, ing respective areas of inquiry and study except where spe because this method is so accurate it may be desirable to cific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein. utilize it regardless of its drawbacks by automating probe insertion when the vehicle is stopped. DETAILED DESCRIPTION (0016. With renewed reference to FIG. 4, yet another way 0011 Tire traction is often dependent on the temperature of sensing the tire tread temperature is embedding thermo of the tire and the road Surface. Although all-season tires are couples 406 inside the tire and transmitting signals indicative compounded to provide adequate traction over a wide range of the temperature, for example wirelessly or otherwise. of temperatures they do not provide optimal traction in envi Optionally, the thermocouples may be communicatively ronments where the temperature of the tire can be maintained coupled to TPMS sensors 408 to improve the quality of the within a relatively narrow range. For example, in high per tire tread temperature data. The TPMS sensors may in turn formance cars, sports cars, and racing applications, the tire evaluate the data or relay it on to another system either wire used is rarely an all-season tire. Instead, these applications lessly or otherwise. often utilize high performance or three-season tires which (0017. With reference to FIGS. 2-3 and 6-9, yet another provide significantly higher levels of traction albeit within way of sensing the tire tread temperature is measuring the relatively narrow ranges. For instance, while such tires per tires infrared emissivity. The infrared emissivity may be form extremely well in relatively high temperatures, such as, sensed by a contactless temperature sensor 104, for example for example, in the range of about 194F to about 212F, these by an infrared or laser thermometer, an infrared camera, or tires perform extremely poorly when the tire tread tempera otherwise. ture is low. For most three-season Street tires, anything below (0018. With reference to FIG. 1, in an example, the tire 102 40F is often considered unsafe. However, for a DOT-R racing temperature sensor 104 is mounted to the vehicle 100. In an tire or a racing slick, the danger threshold for cold tempera aspect, the temperature sensor 104 is configured to measure ture is significantly higher. This is because the coefficient of the temperature while the vehicle is in operation. In an aspect, friction between the compound in the tire tread and the pave the temperature sensor 104 is configured to measure the tire US 2014/01 80534 A1 Jun. 26, 2014 tread temperature while the vehicle is driving. In another mounted to the vehicle. In an example, the display is config aspect, the temperature sensor 104 is configured to measure ured to be disposed within the vehicle. In an aspect, the the tire tread temperature while the vehicle is stopped. In an display is configured to be mounted to the vehicle. aspect, the temperature data is transmitted for displaying of 0027. In another aspect, the controller 1102 may be con relevant tire tread temperature related information, for figured to be a part of a feedback loop system which will allow exampletire tread temperatures, to a driver, another operator, the exhaust to heat the tires.