阅读说明：本技术 轮胎侧壁温度感测系统及方法 (Tire sidewall temperature sensing system and method ) 是由 拉克希·塞斯 于 2020-09-10 设计创作，主要内容包括：公开一种用于从旋转车轮感测轮胎参数的系统及方法。在一些实施例中,系统包含：可旋转组件,其经配置以旋转；压电换能器,其沿着所述可旋转组件的圆周安置,其中所述压电换能器经配置以基于所述压电换能器的机械变形产生分流电压；及至少一个处理器,其与所述压电换能器通信,所述至少一个处理器经配置以基于所述分流电压确定温度值。(A system and method for sensing tire parameters from a rotating wheel is disclosed. In some embodiments, a system comprises: a rotatable component configured to rotate; a piezoelectric transducer disposed along a circumference of the rotatable component, wherein the piezoelectric transducer is configured to generate a shunt voltage based on a mechanical deformation of the piezoelectric transducer; and at least one processor in communication with the piezoelectric transducer, the at least one processor configured to determine a temperature value based on the shunt voltage.)

1. A system, comprising:

a rotatable component configured to rotate;

a piezoelectric transducer disposed along a circumference of the rotatable component, wherein the piezoelectric transducer is configured to generate a shunt voltage based on a mechanical deformation of the piezoelectric transducer; and

at least one processor in communication with the piezoelectric transducer, the at least one processor configured to determine a temperature value based on the shunt voltage.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature value is associated with a flexible sidewall contacting the piezoelectric transducer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the rotatable component is part of a wheel and the piezoelectric transducer directly contacts a flexible sidewall of the wheel.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is disposed within a body to which the rotatable assembly is mounted.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a voltage sensor in communication with the piezoelectric transducer, the voltage sensor configured to determine a shunt voltage value of the shunt voltage, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the temperature value based on the shunt voltage value.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the rotatable assembly comprises a rim, wherein the rim comprises an outer facing surface opposite an inner facing surface in which the circumference of the rotatable assembly is defined, wherein the voltage sensor is located within a central housing along the inner facing surface.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the piezoelectric transducer is positioned along the outward-facing surface and connected with the voltage sensor via a wire.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a tire coupled to the rotatable component, wherein the tire, when inflated, is configured to transfer force to the rotatable component resulting from a compressive force acting on a portion of the tire contacting a road, wherein the piezoelectric transducer is configured to mechanically deform in response to the compressive force acting on the portion of the tire contacting the road when the rotatable component rotates.

9. A method, comprising:

determining an initial temperature;

rotating a rotatable component at the starting temperature;

determining a starting voltage value from a piezoelectric transducer disposed along a circumference of the rotatable component, wherein the piezoelectric transducer is configured to generate a voltage based on a mechanical deformation of the piezoelectric transducer;

determining an operating voltage value from the piezoelectric transducer after determining the starting voltage value; and

an operating temperature is determined based on the operating voltage value.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

performing an action based on the aggregated sensor data, wherein the aggregated sensor data includes the operating temperature.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining a tire failure probability based on the operating temperature.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating an alert in response to the tire failure probability exceeding a threshold.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining an outlier as the threshold using a statistical model applied to sensor data including the operating temperature.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the piezoelectric transducer comprises a piezoelectric material.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the rotatable assembly is mounted to a vehicle body.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause a device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a starting temperature associated with the rotatable component;

receiving a starting voltage value from a piezoelectric transducer disposed along a circumference of the rotatable component, wherein the piezoelectric transducer is configured to generate a voltage based on a mechanical deformation of the piezoelectric transducer;

after collecting the starting voltage value, receiving an operating voltage value from the piezoelectric transducer; and

an operating temperature is determined based on the operating voltage value, the starting voltage value, and the starting temperature.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining the operating temperature based on scaling the starting temperature according to the operating voltage value and the starting voltage value.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a set of historical operating temperatures based on the operating temperature values collected over a period of time; and

determining a tire failure probability based on the set of historical operating temperatures.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the piezoelectric transducer is configured to send the operating voltage value to the processor via a wireless connection.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the wireless connection bypasses a vehicle bus.

Technical Field

The present application relates generally to sensor systems and, more specifically, to systems and methods for sensing tire sidewall temperature from a rotating wheel.

Background

Conventional vehicle-based sensor systems are unable to determine the temperature at the rotating wheel. An example of a conventional vehicle-based sensor system is an Inertial Navigation System (INS). The INS may be used to determine the position, orientation, and velocity of the moving object. The INS may include, for example, accelerometers and rotation sensors to continuously calculate the position, orientation, and velocity of the moving object through dead reckoning without the need for external references. The INS is typically centrally located on a stationary portion of the vehicle chassis, rather than a moving portion such as a wheel, in order to provide a more accurate reading. However, the data collected by the INS may be limited to only data sensed from stationary portions of the vehicle chassis. Accordingly, there may be a need for an improved sensor system that is not limited.

The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related thereto are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.

Disclosure of Invention

Example embodiments disclosed herein are directed to solving problems associated with one or more of the problems presented in the prior art, and providing additional features that will be readily apparent upon reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. According to various embodiments, exemplary systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are disclosed herein. It is to be understood, however, that these embodiments are presented by way of example, and not of limitation, and that various modifications to the disclosed embodiments may be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure while remaining within the scope of the invention.

In some embodiments, a system comprises: a rotatable component configured to rotate; a piezoelectric transducer disposed along a circumference of the rotatable component, wherein the piezoelectric transducer is configured to generate a shunt voltage based on a mechanical deformation of the piezoelectric transducer; and at least one processor in communication with the piezoelectric transducer, the at least one processor configured to determine a temperature value based on the shunt voltage.

In some embodiments, the temperature value is associated with contacting a flexible sidewall of the piezoelectric transducer.

In some embodiments, the rotatable component is part of a wheel, and the piezoelectric transducer directly contacts a flexible sidewall of the wheel.

In some embodiments, the at least one processor is disposed within a body to which the rotatable assembly is mounted.

In some embodiments, the voltage sensor is in communication with the piezoelectric transducer. The voltage sensor may be configured to determine a shunt voltage value for the shunt voltage, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the temperature value based on the shunt voltage value.

In some embodiments, the rotatable component includes a rim, wherein the rim includes an outer facing surface opposite an inner facing surface in which a circumference of the rotatable component is defined, wherein the voltage sensor is located within the central housing along the inner facing surface.

In some embodiments, a piezoelectric transducer is positioned along the outer facing surface and connected with the voltage sensor via a wire.

In some embodiments, a tire is coupled to a rotatable component, wherein the tire, when inflated, is configured to transfer force to the rotatable component resulting from a compressive force acting on a portion of the tire contacting the road, wherein a piezoelectric transducer is configured to mechanically deform in response to the compressive force acting on the portion of the tire contacting the road as the rotatable component rotates.

In some embodiments, a method comprises: determining an initial temperature; rotating a rotatable component at the starting temperature; determining a starting voltage value from a piezoelectric transducer disposed along a circumference of the rotatable component, wherein the piezoelectric transducer is configured to generate a voltage based on a mechanical deformation of the piezoelectric transducer; determining an operating voltage value from the piezoelectric transducer after determining the starting voltage value; and determining an operating temperature based on the operating voltage value.

In some embodiments, the method further includes performing an action based on the aggregated sensor data, wherein the aggregated sensor data includes an operating temperature.

In some embodiments, the method further includes determining a probability of tire failure based on the operating temperature.

In some embodiments, the method further includes generating an alert in response to the tire breakage probability exceeding a threshold.

In some embodiments, the method further includes determining an outlier as a threshold using a statistical model applied to sensor data including an operating temperature.

In some embodiments, the piezoelectric transducer comprises a piezoelectric material.

In some embodiments, the rotatable assembly is mounted to the vehicle body.

Some embodiments include a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause a device to perform operations including: receiving a starting temperature associated with the rotatable component; receiving a starting voltage value from a piezoelectric transducer disposed along a circumference of the rotatable component, wherein the piezoelectric transducer is configured to generate a voltage based on a mechanical deformation of the piezoelectric transducer; receiving an operating voltage value from the piezoelectric transducer after collecting the starting voltage value; and determining an operating temperature based on the operating voltage value, the starting voltage value, and the starting temperature.

In some embodiments, the operations further comprise: the operating temperature is determined based on scaling the starting temperature according to the operating voltage value and the starting voltage value.

In some embodiments, the operations further comprise: determining a set of historical operating temperatures based on operating temperatures collected over a period of time; and determining a tire failure probability based on the set of historical operating temperatures.

In some embodiments, the piezoelectric transducer is configured to send the operating voltage value to the processor via a wireless connection.

In some embodiments, the wireless connection bypasses the vehicle bus.

Drawings

Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings. The drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and depict only exemplary embodiments of the invention. These drawings are provided to assist the reader in understanding the invention and should not be taken as limiting the breadth, scope, or applicability of the invention. It should be noted that for clarity and ease of illustration, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

Fig. 1 is a diagram of an intelligent wheel sensor system integrating at least one intelligent wheel, in accordance with various embodiments.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary computing device, in accordance with various embodiments.

Fig. 3A is a perspective illustration of an intelligent wheel, in accordance with various embodiments.

Fig. 3B is a perspective illustration of a smart wheel without a flexible component, in accordance with various embodiments.

Fig. 4 is a perspective illustration of a piezoelectric transducer in accordance with various embodiments.

Fig. 5A illustrates a perspective view of a center housing of a piezoelectric transducer having conductive pins in accordance with various embodiments.

Fig. 5B illustrates a perspective view of a sensor hub platform within a center housing, in accordance with various embodiments.

Fig. 6 is a flow diagram of a temperature sensing process according to various embodiments.

Fig. 7 is a flow diagram of an intelligent wheel process, in accordance with various embodiments.

Fig. 8 is a graph of how temperature may be related to voltage generated by a piezoelectric transducer, in accordance with various embodiments.

Detailed Description

Various exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the drawings to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention. As will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading this disclosure, various changes or modifications can be made to the examples described herein without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. Additionally, the particular order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein is merely exemplary. Based upon design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods or processes disclosed may be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present the various steps or actions in a sample order, and the invention is not limited to the particular order or hierarchy presented unless otherwise explicitly stated.

As described above, an Inertial Navigation System (INS) may be used to determine the position, orientation, and velocity of a moving object on a centralized stationary portion of a vehicle. The INS does not collect sensor data from moving parts such as wheels. For example, the INS is unable to determine the temperature at the wheels. Furthermore, an INS is typically powered by a centralized power source of the vehicle, such as the vehicle's engine or a centralized battery. Additionally, sensors for the wheels (e.g., pressure monitoring devices) may rely on a low speed Controller Area Network (CAN) bus for communication.

Accordingly, a new method is presented that contemplates a system and method for tire sidewall temperature sensing. This temperature sensing may be performed based on the voltage value generated by the piezoelectric transducer that transforms the tire deformation into a voltage. The amount of voltage may be related to the tire sidewall temperature (e.g., at the tire sidewall contacting the piezoelectric transducer). Also, in some embodiments, a piezoelectric transducer may be located on the rim of the wheel to more effectively convert tire deformation into a voltage.

In various embodiments, the piezoelectric transducer can generate a continuous output at varying vehicle speeds based on the temperature of the rim and tire, and the weight of the vehicle acting on an underlying surface (e.g., road) by the rim and tire. For example, a vehicle may have wheels (e.g., wheels with pneumatic tires). A wheel having a pneumatic tire and a rigid rim may exchange vehicle action along the bead area of the tire that interfaces with the rigid rim. These vehicle actions may include traction, braking, steering, load support, and the like. As the wheel rotates, the lower portion of the tire may exert a force in the bead area to offset the weight of the vehicle. These forces can cause the sidewalls of the wheel to bend and apply forces to the piezoelectric transducer due to the internal air pressure of the tire (e.g., due to the intimate contact between the rubber tire and the metal rim).

In various embodiments, the piezoelectric transducers may be arrayed around the circumference of the rim to generate a voltage based on the temperature of the tire sidewall as the wheel rotates. In some embodiments, the piezoelectric transducer may be physically separated from the rim and/or tire when the piezoelectric transducer is mounted on the rim of the wheel. Thus, there is no need to replace or change the piezoelectric transducer when replacing the tire. The piezoelectric transducer may also be coupled with an energy storage device (e.g., a battery) to provide a charging cycle that can power a sensor array placed in, on, or near the wheel. Thus, piezoelectric transducers may utilize strain (e.g., mechanical strain indicative of relative motion/deflection) to generate a voltage that may be used to determine tire sidewall temperature and to power other devices or sensors proximate the piezoelectric transducer.

In some embodiments, the piezoelectric transducer may be disposed along a circumference of a rotatable component (e.g., a rigid portion of a wheel configured to rotate). Such a piezoelectric transducer can be configured to generate a voltage (e.g., an electrical potential) based on mechanical deformation of the piezoelectric transducer. Also, the processor may be in communication with the piezoelectric transducer and configured to determine a temperature value (e.g., temperature) based on the generated voltage. The temperature value may represent a temperature of a flexible sidewall contacting the piezoelectric transducer (e.g., based on the generated voltage). In other words, the rotatable component may be part of the wheel, and the piezoelectric transducer may directly contact the flexible sidewall of the wheel. In a particular embodiment, at least one processor is disposed within a body to which the rotatable assembly is mounted. In various embodiments, the piezoelectric transducer may include a voltage sensor configured to determine a shunt voltage value of the shunt voltage, such that the processor may be configured to determine the temperature value based on the shunt voltage value.

In various embodiments, the rotatable component may include a rim including an outer facing surface opposite an inner facing surface in which a circumference of the rotatable component is defined. The voltage sensor may be located within the central housing along the inner facing surface. Also, the tire forming the flexible sidewall of the wheel may be coupled to the rotatable component such that the pneumatic tire may be configured to transfer to the rotatable component forces resulting from compressive forces acting on the portion of the tire contacting the road (e.g., the underlying surface through which the tire passes). Thus, the piezoelectric transducer may be configured to mechanically deform in response to a compressive force acting on a portion of the tire contacting the road as the rotatable component rotates.

In various embodiments, the temperature of the tire may be determined based on the operating voltage value, the starting voltage value, and the starting temperature. The starting temperature may be a reference temperature associated with a starting voltage value. This may be a known temperature value for the tire and/or sidewall that the piezoelectric transducer contacts. The starting voltage value may be a voltage value (e.g., a single starting value and/or a normalized starting voltage value) generated by the piezoelectric transducer at a starting temperature as the wheel (including the tire) rotates. Subsequently, when the tire is no longer at a known temperature (e.g., after collection of an initial voltage value at the initial temperature), an operating voltage value (e.g., a single operating voltage value and/or a normalized operating voltage value) may be generated from the piezoelectric transducer. Thus, during collection of the operating voltage value, a predetermined relationship between the operating voltage value, the starting voltage value, and the starting temperature may be used to determine the operating temperature of the tire at the location of the piezoelectric transducer. In some embodiments, this predetermined relationship may include scaling the starting temperature based on the operating voltage value and the starting voltage value.

In various embodiments, an action may be taken (e.g., generating an alarm, notification, or recording in a data store) based on the aggregated sensor data including the operating temperature. In some embodiments, the tire failure probability may be determined based on the operating temperature. For example, an action may be generated as an alert in response to the probability of tire failure exceeding a threshold. This threshold may be an outlier determined using a statistical model applied to sensor data including operating temperature values. For example, such sensor data may include a historical set of operating temperatures based on operating temperature values collected over a period of time.

In various embodiments, the piezoelectric transducer may comprise a piezoelectric material that is at least one of a crystalline and semiconductor material or a polymer and an organic material. Examples of crystalline and semiconductor materials may include: polyvinylidene fluoride, gallium phosphate, sodium bismuth titanate, lead zirconium titanate, quartz, berlinite (AlPO4), sucrose (flavoring sugar), rochelle salt, topaz, tourmaline group minerals, lead titanate (PbTiO3), lanthanum silicate (La3Ga5SiO14), gallium orthophosphate (gap 4), lithium niobate (LiNbO3), lithium tantalate (LiTaO3), any of the perovskite ceramic series, tungsten bronze, potassium niobate (KNbO3), sodium tungstate (Na2WO3), Ba2NaNb5O5, Pb2KNb5O15, sodium potassium niobate ((K, Na) NbO3) (e.g., NKN or KNN), bismuth ferrite (Bi 3), sodium niobate (NaNbO3), barium titanate (BaTiO3), bismuth titanate (Bi4Ti3O12), bismuth titanate (NaBi (TiO3)2), zinc blende crystals, ZnO, GaN, and GaN. Examples of polymers and organic materials may include: polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and its copolymers, polyamide and terephthalic-C, polyimide, and polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), and diphenylalanine Peptide Nanotubes (PNT).

In various embodiments, the piezoelectric transducer may be part of an intelligent wheel sensor system. For example, piezoelectric transducers, as well as other sensors of the intelligent wheel sensor system, may be arrayed on a wheel of a vehicle (e.g., a wheel-driven object). The intelligent wheel sensor system may include multiple types of sensors, each of which may be configured to collect different types of intelligent wheel sensor system data. For example, the intelligent wheel sensor system may include a height sensor configured to generate air pressure sensor data; an acoustic sensor configured to generate acoustic sensor data; an image sensor configured to generate image sensor data; a gas sensor configured to generate gas sensor data; a magnetic sensor configured to generate magnetic sensor data; an accelerometer sensor configured to generate acceleration sensor data; a gyroscope sensor configured to generate gyroscope sensor data; and a humidity sensor configured to generate humidity sensor data. The intelligent wheel sensor system data generated by the intelligent wheel sensor system may be analyzed centrally and locally (e.g., by a computer or server within or supported by the body) at the vehicle that relies on the intelligent wheels for movement to determine the status of the vehicle and/or individual intelligent wheels. Advantageously, the intelligent wheel sensor system may be implemented in an autonomous vehicle, for example as part of a back-up sensor system, to enhance the safety system of the autonomous vehicle. In various embodiments, the individual wheels on which the devices of the intelligent wheel sensor system are arrayed may be referred to as intelligent wheels.

Fig. 1 is a diagram of an intelligent wheel sensor system 100 integrating at least one intelligent wheel 102, in accordance with various embodiments. The intelligent wheel sensor system 100 may include a local sensor system 104 (e.g., a local intelligent wheel sensor system) of a plurality of sensor platforms 106 arrayed on respective intelligent wheels 102. At least one of the sensor platforms 106 may include a piezoelectric transducer. Also, the sensor platforms and each of the constituent piezoelectric transducers may be spaced at regular intervals along the smart wheel (e.g., 120 degree intervals across the smart wheel).

This local sensor system 104 may include a local intelligent wheel server 108 that communicates with sensors within the sensor platform 106. Thus, each sensor platform 106 may include at least one sensor and also include an auxiliary interface, such as a communication interface, for communicating with the local intelligent wheel server 108. This local intelligent wheel server 108 may also communicate with a local intelligent wheel data store 110 and any local user devices 112, such as smart phones. For ease of description, the term "local" may refer to a device defined within or on the body 114 or smart wheel 102 of the vehicle 116.

Conversely, the term "remote" may refer to a device that is external to the body 114 or smart wheel 102 of the vehicle 116. For example, the local intelligent wheel server 108 may be configured to communicate with a remote network 120, such as the internet. This remote network 120 may further connect the local intelligent wheel server 108 with a remote server 122 that is in communication with a remote data storage area 124 or a remote user device 126. In addition, the local intelligent wheel server 108 may communicate with external sensors or devices, such as remote satellites 128 for Global Positioning System (GPS) information.

In various embodiments, the sensor platform 106 may be configured to communicate with the local smart wheel server 108 via a communication interface. This communication interface may enable the devices to communicate with each other using any communication media and protocols. Accordingly, the communication interface 280 may include any suitable hardware, software, or combination of hardware and software capable of coupling the sensor platform 106 with the local intelligent wheel server 108. The communication interface may be arranged to operate with any suitable technology to control information signals using a desired set of communication protocols, services or operating procedures. The communication interface may comprise a suitable physical connector to connect with a corresponding communication medium. In some embodiments, this communication interface may be separate from a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus. For example, the communication interface may facilitate wireless communication within the local sensor system 104 (e.g., between the sensor platform 106 and the local smart wheel server 108). Further discussion of this communication interface is provided in more detail below.

In some embodiments, the sensor platform 106 may be configured to communicate with a remote network 120. For example, sensor platform 106 may communicate sensor data generated by sensor platform 106 to remote server 122, remote data store 124, remote user device 126, and/or remote satellite 128 via remote network 120. In various embodiments, sensor platform 106 may communicate directly with remote network 120, remote satellite 128, user device 112, and/or remote user device 126. For example, the sensor platform 106 may include a communication interface (discussed further below) that may be configured to communicate directly with the remote network 120, the remote satellite 128, the user device 112, and/or the remote user device 126 by bypassing the local server 108.

In other embodiments, sensor platform 106 may communicate indirectly with remote network 120, remote satellite 128, user device 112, and/or remote user device 126. For example, the sensor platform 106 may include a communication interface (discussed further below) that may be configured to indirectly communicate with the remote network 120, the remote satellite 128, the user device 112, and/or the remote user device 126 via the local server 108 (e.g., where the communication is routed through the local server 108 as an intermediary). In some embodiments, the sensor platform 106 may communicate directly with the user device 112 (e.g., a smartphone), which may then communicate directly or indirectly with the local server 108, the remote network 120, the remote user device 126, and/or the remote satellite 128. In other embodiments, the wheel 102 (e.g., acting as an antenna) and/or the sensor platform 106 may have a direct communication link with the remote user device 126 or the remote satellite 128 (e.g., for the purposes of internet access and/or GPS applications).

Communication from the sensor platform 106 to the remote server 122, whether direct or indirect, may include sensor data collected by the device platform for analysis by the remote server 122. This sensor data may be analyzed by the remote server 122 to determine actions that may be performed by the local server 108. For example, as will be discussed in further detail below, such sensor data (e.g., voltage values generated by a piezoelectric transducer) may be used to determine parameter values (e.g., values of parameters such as operating temperature and/or probability of tire breakage). Subsequently, certain actions may be performed based on the status of the parameter value, such as in response to the parameter value satisfying certain thresholds (e.g., for alerts or notifications presented via the user interface). This parameter value determination may be performed at a remote server, and the parameter value is then communicated to the local server 108 to determine an action to perform based on the state of the parameter value. In other embodiments, this parameter value determination and the determination of the resulting action may be performed by a remote server. The remote server may then transmit an indication to the local server that an action is to be performed for implementation (e.g., as instructions to the local server for implementation). Although some embodiments describe the sensor data as being communicated to a remote server for processing, the sensor data may be processed in other ways as desired for different applications according to various embodiments. For example, sensor data may be processed locally at the local server 108, with or without additional input provided from the remote server 122, remote user device, and/or remote satellite 128, as will be discussed further below.

In some embodiments, each of the sensor platforms and constituent piezoelectric transducers may be spaced at regular intervals along the smart wheel (e.g., 120 degree intervals across the smart wheel). Thus, these regularly spaced piezoelectric transducers may generate voltage values that may be used to infer the temperature at the regularly spaced piezoelectric transducers' locations (e.g., at regular locations along the smart wheel). For example, these regularly spaced piezoelectric transducers may generate voltage values as sensor data that may be used to determine a normalized or average temperature value for the smart wheel at the bead area where the regularly spaced piezoelectric transducers are located (e.g., at the area contacting the flexible tire and the rigid rim).

Fig. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary computing device 200, in accordance with various embodiments. As noted above, the computing device 200 may represent exemplary components of a particular local intelligent wheel server 108, local user device 112, remote server 122, remote user device 126, sensor platform 106, or remote satellite 128 as discussed above in connection with fig. 1. Returning to fig. 2, in some embodiments, computing device 200 includes a hardware unit 225 and software 226. The software 226 may run on a hardware unit 225 (e.g. a processing hardware unit) such that various applications or programs may be executed on the hardware unit 225 by means of the software 226. In some embodiments, the functionality of the software 226 may be implemented directly in the hardware unit 225 (e.g., as a system on a chip, firmware, field programmable gate array ("FPGA"), etc.). In some embodiments, hardware unit 225 includes one or more processors, such as processor 230. In some embodiments, processor 230 is an execution unit or "core" on a microprocessor chip. In some embodiments, processor 230 may include a processing unit, such as, but not limited to, an integrated circuit ("IC"), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Additional Support Processor (ASP), a microcomputer, a programmable logic controller ("PLC"), and/or any other programmable circuit. Alternatively, processor 230 may include multiple processing units (e.g., in a multi-core configuration). The above examples are exemplary only, and are thus not intended to limit in any way the definition and/or meaning of the term "processor". The hardware unit 225 also includes a system memory 232 coupled to the processor 230 via a system bus 234. Memory 232 may be general purpose volatile RAM. For example, the hardware unit 225 may include a 32-bit microcomputer with 2 megabits of ROM and 64 kilobits of RAM, and/or multiple GB of RAM. Memory 232 may also be ROM, a Network Interface (NIC), and/or other devices.

In some embodiments, a system bus 234 may couple each of the various system components together. It should be noted that, as used herein, the term "couple" is not limited to direct mechanical, communication, and/or electrical connection between components, but may also include indirect mechanical, communication, and/or electrical connection between two or more components or a coupling that operates through intervening elements or spaces. The system bus 234 can be any of several types of bus structure(s) including the memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus or external bus, and/or a local bus using any variety of available bus architectures including, but not limited to, 9-bit bus, Industrial Standard Architecture (ISA), micro-channel architecture (MSA), extended ISA (eisa), Intelligent Drive Electronics (IDE), VESA Local Bus (VLB), peripheral component interconnect card international association bus (PCMCIA), Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) or other proprietary bus, or any custom bus suitable for computing device applications.

In some embodiments, optionally, computing device 200 may also include at least one media output component or display interface 236 for presenting information to a user. Display interface 236 may be any component capable of communicating information to a user, and may include, but is not limited to, a display device (not shown), such as a liquid crystal display ("LCD"), organic light emitting diode ("OLED") display, or an audio output device, such as a speaker or headset. In some embodiments, computing device 200 may output at least one desktop, such as desktop 240. Desktop 240 may be an interactive user environment provided by an operating system and/or applications running within computing device 200 and may include at least one screen or display image such as display image 242. Desktop 240 may also accept input from a user in the form of device input, such as keyboard and mouse input. In some embodiments, desktop 240 may also accept analog inputs, such as analog keyboard and mouse inputs. In addition to user input and/or output, desktop 240 may send and receive device data, such as input and/or output of a flash memory device local to a user or local printer.

In some embodiments, the computing device 200 includes an input or user interface 250 for receiving input from a user. User interface 250 may include, for example, a keyboard, a pointing device, a mouse, a stylus, a touch-sensitive panel (e.g., a touchpad or a touch screen), a position detector, and/or an audio input device. A single component, such as a touch screen, may serve as both an output device and an input interface for the media output component. In some embodiments, a mobile device such as a tablet computer may be used.

In some embodiments, computing device 200 may include a database 260 as a data store within memory 232, such that various information may be stored within database 260. Alternatively, in some embodiments, database 260 may be included within a remote server (not shown) having file sharing capabilities, such that database 260 may be accessed by computing device 200 and/or a remote user. In some embodiments, a plurality of computer-executable instructions may be stored in memory 232, e.g., in one or more computer-readable storage media 270 (only one shown in fig. 2). Computer-readable storage media 270 includes non-transitory media, and may include volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information, such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. The instructions are executable by the processor 230 to perform various functions described herein.

In the example of fig. 2, computing device 200 may be a communication device, a storage device, or any device capable of running software components. For a non-limiting example, computing device 200 may be, but is not limited to, a local smart wheel server, a local user device, a remote server, a remote user device, a sensor platform, a remote satellite, a smart phone, a laptop PC, a desktop PC, a tablet computer, Google^TMAndroid^TMThe device,And a voice controlled speaker or controller.

The computing device 200 has a communication interface 280 that enables the computing device to communicate with each other, users, and other devices over one or more communication networks, following certain communication protocols, such as TCP/IP, http, https, file transfer, and sftp protocols. Here, the communication network may be, but is not limited to, the internet, an intranet, a Wide Area Network (WAN), a Local Area Network (LAN), a wireless network, bluetooth, WiFi, and a mobile communication network (e.g., a 4G-LTE and/or 5G network).

In some embodiments, communication interface 280 may include any suitable hardware, software, or combination of hardware and software capable of coupling computing device 200 to one or more networks and/or additional devices. Communication interface 280 may be arranged to operate with any suitable technology to control information signals using a desired set of communication protocols, services, or operating procedures. Communication interface 280 may include appropriate physical connectors (whether wired or wireless) to connect with a corresponding communication medium.

The network may serve as a carrier for communications. In various aspects, the network may comprise a Local Area Network (LAN) and a Wide Area Network (WAN), including, but not limited to, the internet, wired channels, wireless channels, communication devices including telephone, computer, wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic channels, and combinations thereof, including other devices and/or components capable of/associated with communicating data. For example, the communication environment includes in-body communication, various devices, and various communication modes, such as wireless communication, wired communication, and combinations thereof.

The wireless communication modes include any communication mode between points (e.g., nodes) that at least partially utilize wireless technologies including various protocols and combinations of protocols associated with wireless transmissions, data, and devices. Such points include, for example, wireless devices such as wireless headsets, audio and multimedia devices and equipment such as audio players and multimedia players, telephones including mobile telephones and cordless telephones, and computers and computer-related devices and components such as printers, network-connected machines, and/or any other suitable device or third-party device.

Wired communication modes include any communication mode between points that utilize wired technologies including various protocols and combinations of protocols associated with wired transmissions, data, and devices. The points include, for example, devices such as audio and multimedia devices and apparatuses, such as audio players and multimedia players, telephones including mobile telephones and cordless telephones, and computers and computer-related devices and components such as printers, network-connected machines, and/or any other suitable device or third-party device. In various implementations, the wired communication module may communicate according to a plurality of wired protocols including a fiber optic communication protocol. Examples of wired protocols may include Universal Serial Bus (USB) communications, RS-232, RS-422, RS-423, RS-485 serial protocol, firewire, Ethernet, fibre channel, MIDI, ATA, Serial ATA, PCI express, T-1 (and variations), Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) parallel communications, Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) communications, or Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) communications, to name a few.

Thus, in various aspects, communication interface 280 may include one or more interfaces, such as a wireless communication interface, a wired communication interface, a network interface, a transmission interface, a reception interface, a media interface, a system interface, a component interface, a switching interface, a chip interface, a controller, and so forth. When implemented by a wireless device or within a wireless system, for example, communication interface 280 may comprise a wireless interface including (e.g., including) one or more antennas, transmitters, receivers, transceivers, amplifiers, filters, control logic, and so forth.

In various aspects, communication interface 280 may provide data communication functionality in accordance with a plurality of communication protocols. Examples of protocols may include various Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) protocols, including Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)802.xx family of protocols, such as IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n, IEEE 802.16, IEEE 802.20, and so forth. Other examples of wireless protocols may include various Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) protocols such as GSM cellular radiotelephone system protocols using GPRS, CDMA cellular radiotelephone communication systems using 1xRTT, EDGE systems, EV-DO systems, EV-DV systems, HSDPA systems, 4G-LTE, 5G, and so forth. Other examples of wireless protocols may include a wireless Personal Area Network (PAN) protocol, such as an infrared protocol, a protocol according to the bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) family of protocols, including bluetooth specification versions v1.0, v1.1, v1.2, v2.0 using Enhanced Data Rate (EDR), and one or more bluetooth profiles, among others. Yet another example of a wireless protocol may include near field communication techniques and protocols, such as electromagnetic induction (EMI) techniques. Examples of EMI techniques may include passive or active Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) protocols and devices. Other suitable protocols may include Ultra Wideband (UWB), Digital Office (DO), digital home, Trusted Platform Module (TPM), ZigBee, and the like.

Fig. 3A is a perspective illustration of a smart wheel 300 according to various embodiments. The smart wheel 300 may include at least one sensor platform 302. Each sensor platform 302 may include a central housing 304 and a piezoelectric transducer 306. As will be discussed further below, each sensor platform may be supported by (e.g., positioned along) the rotatable component 308 of the smart wheel 300. For example, the rotatable component 308 may include a rim of the smart wheel 300 within which a circumference of the rotatable component 308 is defined. Although each sensor platform 302 may include a single central housing 304 and a single piezoelectric transducer 306 in some embodiments, any number of central housings and piezoelectric transducers may be implemented in the sensor platform as desired for different applications in various embodiments. For example, other embodiments may include multiple center housings for each piezoelectric transducer, and still other embodiments may include multiple piezoelectric transducers for each center housing. Although some embodiments describe the center housing 304 as being directly on the rim 308A of the smart wheel 300 (e.g., on the rim of the rotatable component 308 of the smart wheel 300), in various embodiments, the center housing may be located in other portions of the smart wheel 300 as desired for different applications. For example, the center housing (and the constituent components of the center housing) may be positioned closer to the center of the rotatable component 308, such as along the spokes 308B of the rotatable component 308 or around the center 308C of the rotatable component 308 (e.g., near the lid) in particular embodiments.

The piezoelectric transducer 306 may be positioned along a rotatable component 308 (e.g., a rim) of the smart wheel 300 in a manner configured to capture kinetic energy in response to a compressive force acting on a flexible component 310 (e.g., a pneumatic or inflatable tire, inner tube, etc.) of the smart wheel 300 in contact with a road or object as the rotatable component 308 rotates. In some embodiments, the piezoelectric transducer 306 and/or the sensor platform 302 may be visible from the side of the vehicle or smart wheel 300 (e.g., adjacent to a lateral sidewall of the vehicle or smart wheel 300). However, in other embodiments, the piezoelectric transducer 306 and/or the sensor platform 302 may not be visible from the side of the vehicle or smart wheel 300. The voltage generated by the piezoelectric transducer 306 may be used to determine the temperature of the flexible component 310 and/or the rotatable component 308 at the location of the piezoelectric transducer 306. In some embodiments, this voltage may represent energy that may also power various components of the sensor platform 302, such as various sensors and/or communication interfaces within the central housing 304.

In various embodiments, the piezoelectric transducer 306 may be located on a sidewall of the rotatable assembly 308. For example, the piezoelectric transducer 306 may be located between a bead region of the flexible component 310 (e.g., a tire, inner tube, conveyor belt, etc.) and the rotatable component 308 (e.g., a wheel rim, wheel, shaft, etc.). Thus, the flexible member 310 may be mounted on the rotatable member 308. The piezoelectric transducer 306 may generate a voltage due to the compressive force of the vehicle acting on the bead area of the flexible assembly 310 (e.g., a tire inner tube, etc.).

Fig. 3B is a perspective illustration of a smart wheel 300 without a flexible component, in accordance with various embodiments. As illustrated, the piezoelectric transducer 306 may be positioned around the circumference of the rotatable component 308. Thus, piezoelectric transducer 306 may generate energy (e.g., a voltage) resulting from the compressive force of a moving object (e.g., a vehicle, acting on the bead area of a tire mounted on rotatable assembly 308). In some embodiments, the compressive force may be due to a load (e.g., acceleration, deceleration, etc.). Also, the amount of compressive force may be based on the temperature of the smart wheel 300 experienced at the piezoelectric transducer (e.g., at the sidewall in direct contact with the piezoelectric transducer 306). In further embodiments, piezoelectric transducer 306 may capture kinetic energy of a vehicle moving in response to rotation of rotatable assembly 308. Thus, when mechanical stress is applied to the piezoelectric transducer 306, the piezoelectric transducer 306 may generate energy (e.g., a voltage).

Fig. 4 is a perspective illustration of a piezoelectric transducer 306 according to various embodiments. The piezoelectric transducer 306 may be positioned along the circumference of a rotatable assembly 308 (e.g., a wheel rim). The piezoelectric transducer 306 may include a backing portion 402 that contacts the rotatable element 308. Backing portion 402 may support a piezoelectric transducer. The piezoelectric transducer 306 may also include conductive pins 410 (illustrated in phantom) or other leads (e.g., which may be flexible and not necessarily rigid) that may connect the piezoelectric transducer to a central housing (discussed further below). This conductive pin 410 may be connected to the piezoelectric material in order to transfer the electrical potential generated by the piezoelectric material to the central housing. Accordingly, the conductive pins 410 may include a conductive material for transferring energy generated by the piezoelectric material to the central housing.

Fig. 5A illustrates a perspective view of the central housing 304 with conductive pins 410, in accordance with various embodiments. The center housing 304 may include curved features 502 for conforming the center housing 304 to the curvature of the rotatable component. The center housing 304 may include a cover 504 that is removably attachable to the main portion 506 of the center housing 304. For example, the cover 504 may be removably attached to the main portion 506 of the center housing 304 via screws, latches, or any other type of removable attachment device that may attach the cover 504 to the main portion 506. Also, the main portion 506 may include a gasket 508 to prevent ingress of undesirable particulates (e.g., water, snow, salt, dirt, or other environmental particulates).

Fig. 5B illustrates a perspective view of a sensor hub platform 510 within the central housing 304, in accordance with various embodiments. The sensor integrator platform 510 may integrate various sensors 512 (e.g., sensor components physically separated from the structure of the piezoelectric transducer) within the central housing 304 along with functional modules such as a battery 514 or other energy storage media configured to store energy generated by the piezoelectric transducer received via the conductive pins 410. In some embodiments, the sensor integrator platform 510 can include a system bus (e.g., a conductive element of a printed circuit board) that connects the various portions of the sensor integrator platform 510 together.

Further, the sensor integrator platform may include other functional modules, such as a communication interface 516 for communicating sensor data captured by the various sensors of the sensor integrator platform 510 to a local intelligent wheel server. Such a communication interface may include, for example, a communication interface for offloading data (e.g., via millimeter and/or gigahertz wavelength communication) to a local intelligent wheel server, other vehicles, infrastructure (e.g., remote network), and/or user devices. As another example, such a communication interface may facilitate wireless communication, such as via bluetooth, radio frequency, radio waves, ultrasonic waves, and/or any other type of communication protocol or medium. This communication interface may be configured to communicate with, for example, an onboard Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and/or an Advanced Driver Assistance (ADAS) system on the vehicle. Additionally, the sensor integrator platform 510 optionally may include a processor 518, or any other circuitry for facilitating the collection, communication, and/or analysis of sensor data generated by the constituent sensors of the sensor integrator platform 510.

The sensors 516 may include one or more of various types of sensors that may be integrated within the sensor integrator platform 510 according to various embodiments. For example, the sensor 516 may include a voltage sensor that may sense an amount of electrical potential (e.g., voltage) generated by the piezoelectric transducer 306. Such a voltage sensor may be configured to measure the amount of electrical potential generated by the piezoelectric transducer 306 to determine the temperature at the flexible component (e.g., tire) of the smart wheel. In some embodiments, the voltage sensor may also be configured to wake up or otherwise activate the sensor and/or functional module of the sensor integrator platform 510 when a sufficient amount of electrical potential is generated by the piezoelectric transducer 306. For ease of discussion, in various embodiments, the voltage sensor may include a piezoelectric transducer, such that the voltage sensor is configured to determine a voltage value or level generated by the piezoelectric transducer for temperature determination. In further embodiments, the voltage sensor may include a piezoelectric transducer and be configured to transition various sensors and/or functional modules of the sensor integrator platform from a low-power or inactive state to a powered-on or active state based on the piezoelectric transducer generating more than a threshold amount of energy in response to mechanical deformation at a particular temperature. In some embodiments, when the piezoelectric transducer is not generating any energy (e.g., when there is no mechanical stress applied to the piezoelectric transducer), the electrical potential (e.g., voltage) sensed by the voltage sensor may be stored in the battery as backup power.

In a particular embodiment, the sensor 516 may include an altitude sensor configured to generate barometric pressure sensor data. In some embodiments, the height sensor is configured to also measure deflection of the inner tire surface due to vehicle loads or contact patch. In some embodiments, the ranging sensor may be placed in the pressurized portion of the tire. As the tire rotates, the distance of the tire relative to the central rotating rim changes. Such periodic distance changes may be detected by a height sensor. Thus, such a height sensor may be a barometric pressure sensor or atmospheric pressure sensor that may measure atmospheric pressure, which may indicate altitude or height. This air pressure sensor data may be used, for example, to determine an intelligent wheel base, such as a reference point of a road, and/or a height relative to other intelligent wheels of the vehicle. This may allow determining a rollover risk or tire leakage. As described above, the height sensor on the smart wheel may be on the rotatable component of the wheel and therefore not on the chassis of the vehicle. Thus, such a height sensor may be able to provide air pressure sensor data as to which side (e.g., which smart wheel) caused the rollover (e.g., when such air pressure sensor data is generated and recorded in a continuous or semi-continuous manner). Further, the air pressure sensor data generated by the smart wheels may more accurately sense road conditions, such as potholes, than sensor data generated by stationary portions of the vehicle chassis.

In further embodiments, the sensor 516 may include an acoustic sensor configured to generate acoustic sensor data. Thus, such an acoustic sensor may be any type of acoustic, sound, or vibration sensor, such as a geophone, microphone, seismometer, sound locator, and the like. The acoustic sensor data may be used for audio pattern recognition in order to sense an audio signature of a brake or rotor of a rotatable component (e.g., a wheel). This may be used to predict vehicle repair schedules and/or generate performance optimization data. More specifically, acoustic sensor data may be analyzed to identify and/or monitor unique signatures for different damage and wear conditions.

In various embodiments, sensor 516 may include an image sensor configured to generate image sensor data from the variable attenuation of waves. Examples of image sensors may include semiconductor Charge Coupled Devices (CCDs) or active pixel sensors in Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) or N-type metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) technology. In various embodiments, a sensor platform containing an image sensor may contain a lens or other transparent medium on which light waves are focused from outside the central housing 304 onto the image sensor. In a particular embodiment, more specifically, such an image sensor may be a time-of-flight sensor to capture time-of-flight data that may characterize time-of-flight (TOF). Such a time-of-flight sensor may be, for example, an ultrasonic TOF sensor configured to collect ultrasonic TOF sensor data. As a more particular example, the image sensor may serve as a camera for determining the visibility of tire tread depth for evaluating tire performance and optimization. This image sensor, which captures image data characterizing tire tread depth, may also be positioned in a manner such that image data of the tire tread may be captured (e.g., by having this image sensor capture image data characterizing tread depth of a smart tire on which the image sensor is positioned, or a tire on which the image sensor is not positioned). As another particular example, the image sensor may include an infrared image sensor for authentication or identification. For example, such an infrared sensor may be utilized to scan characteristics of a local environment or local object (e.g., a person in proximity to a vehicle) for authentication.

In a particular embodiment, the sensor 516 may include a gas sensor configured to generate gas sensor data. Such a gas sensor may be any type of sensor used to monitor and characterize a gaseous atmosphere. For example, gas sensors may utilize any of a variety of mechanisms for gas detection, such as electrochemical gas sensors, catalytic bead gas sensors, photoionization gas sensors, infrared spot gas sensors, thermographic gas sensors, semiconductor gas sensors, ultrasonic gas sensors, holographic gas sensors, and the like. These gas sensors may, for example, detect certain types of gases, such as exhaust gases, explosive gases (e.g., for battery failure detection), atmospheric humidity, air quality, particulates, pH levels, and the like.

In a particular embodiment, the sensor 516 may include a magnetic sensor configured to generate magnetic sensor data. Such a magnetic sensor may, for example, be a magnetometer that measures magnetic force for navigation using a magnetic field map (e.g., within a building or within an enclosed environment).

In additional embodiments, the sensors 516 may include accelerometer sensors configured to generate acceleration sensor data and/or gyroscope sensors configured to generate gyroscope sensor data. This acceleration sensor data and/or gyroscope sensor data may be used for navigation in order to determine an acceleration amount for emergency braking system application. In some embodiments, the accelerometer sensors and/or gyroscope sensors may be part of an Inertial Navigation System (INS) located on the smart wheels.

Fig. 6 is a flow diagram of a temperature sensing process 600 according to various embodiments. Process 600 may be performed at an intelligent wheel sensor system of a plurality of sensor platforms arrayed on respective intelligent wheels in communication with at least one processor (e.g., a local intelligent wheel server or other computing device as introduced above). It should be noted that process 600 is merely an example and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that additional operations (e.g., blocks) may be provided before, during, and after the process 600 of fig. 6, that certain operations may be omitted, that certain operations may be performed in parallel with other operations, and that only some other operations may be described simply herein.

At block 602, a starting temperature may be determined. In some embodiments, this starting temperature may be determined by retrieval from a data store or memory by the intelligent wheel processor. More specifically, the starting temperature may be a reference temperature at the piezoelectric transducer that is manually acquired at a time associated with a starting voltage (discussed further below). This starting temperature may be predetermined from factory or operator settings, for example, based on a particular operating time within the controlled environment. In other embodiments, the starting temperature may be the ambient temperature of the intelligent wheel (e.g., the vehicle to which the intelligent wheel is mounted) at the time the starting voltage is collected. In various embodiments, this starting temperature may be measured using a thermometer, an infrared camera, or other techniques that read the temperature at a particular location.

At block 604, a starting voltage may be collected from the smart wheel operating at the starting temperature. More specifically, although the piezoelectric transducer operates at a known starting temperature, the piezoelectric transducer may be deformed (e.g., mechanically deformed) to generate energy (e.g., a starting voltage) due to the compressive force of a moving object (e.g., a vehicle acting on a bead area of a tire mounted on the rotatable assembly). In other words, the piezoelectric transducer may capture kinetic energy of a vehicle moving in response to the rotatable component rotating at an initial temperature (e.g., such that the initial temperature and the initial voltage are collected simultaneously). This energy may be in the form of an Alternating Current (AC) signal, which may be rectified to a Direct Current (DC) signal. In some embodiments, the AC signal is rectified by a rectification circuit included within the sensor 516 or a separate circuit within the sensor integrator platform 510.

In various embodiments, energy (e.g., a starting voltage) generated by a piezoelectric transducer may be delivered to a sensor integrator platform of a sensor platform that includes the piezoelectric transducer. As described above, this energy may be delivered through pins (e.g., conductive pins) or other wires (e.g., flexible wires) made of, for example, a conductive material to deliver energy from the piezoelectric transducer to the sensor integrator platform. The sensor integrator platform may include a voltage sensor that may determine an amount (e.g., value) of a starting voltage generated by the piezoelectric transducer.

At block 606, an operating voltage may be collected from the smart wheels operating at an unknown operating temperature. This operating temperature has not been known until now, since it is an operating temperature that is still determined based on the operating voltage, the starting voltage and the starting temperature. More specifically, although the piezoelectric transducer operates at an unknown operating temperature, the piezoelectric transducer may deform (e.g., mechanically deform) to generate energy (e.g., an operating voltage) due to the compressive force of a moving object (e.g., a vehicle acting on the bead area of a tire mounted on the rotatable assembly). As described above, the piezoelectric transducer may capture kinetic energy of a vehicle moving in response to the rotatable assembly rotating at a starting temperature. This energy may be in the form of an Alternating Current (AC) signal, which may be rectified to a Direct Current (DC) signal.

In various embodiments, energy (e.g., an operating voltage) generated by a piezoelectric transducer may be delivered to a sensor integrator platform of a sensor platform that includes the piezoelectric transducer. As described above, this energy may be delivered through pins (e.g., conductive pins) or other wires (e.g., flexible wires) made of, for example, a conductive material to deliver energy from the piezoelectric transducer to the sensor integrator platform. As described above, the sensor integrator platform may include a voltage sensor that may determine an amount (e.g., value) of operating voltage generated by the piezoelectric transducer.

At block 608, an operating temperature may be determined based on the starting temperature, the starting voltage, and the operating voltage. The operating temperature may be a temperature of a flexible component (e.g., a tire sidewall) in contact with the piezoelectric transducer that transfers a compressive force to a piezoelectric material of the piezoelectric transducer when the piezoelectric transducer generates an operating voltage. For example, each of the starting temperature, starting voltage, and operating voltage may represent a parameter analyzed by at least one processor (e.g., as introduced above, a local intelligent wheel server or other computing device). The at least one processor may determine the operating temperature based on the relationship:

wherein T is_oIs the operating temperature, V_oIs the operating voltage, V_sIs the starting voltage, and T_sIs the starting voltage.

In some embodiments, the starting temperature, starting voltage, and operating voltage may be transmitted locally from a sensor platform arrayed on the intelligent wheel to a local intelligent wheel server to determine the operating temperature. This communication may be via a communication interface. This communication interface may enable the devices to communicate with each other using any communication media and protocols. Thus, the communication interface may include any suitable hardware, software, or combination of hardware and software capable of coupling the respective sensor platforms with the local intelligent wheel server. The communication interface may be arranged to operate with any suitable technology to control information signals using a desired set of communication protocols, services or operating procedures. In some embodiments, this communication interface may be separate from the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus, thus having lower latency than communications across the CAN bus.

Fig. 7 is a flow diagram of an intelligent wheel process 700 according to various embodiments. As introduced above, the process 700 may be performed at an intelligent wheel sensor system of a plurality of sensor platforms arranged on respective intelligent wheels in communication with a local intelligent wheel server. It should be noted that process 700 is merely an example and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that additional operations (e.g., blocks) may be provided before, during, and after the process 700 of fig. 7, that certain operations may be omitted, that certain operations may be performed in parallel with other operations, and that only some other operations may be described simply herein.

At block 702, an operating temperature may be determined based on a starting temperature, a starting voltage, and an operating voltage. This operating temperature may be determined in accordance with the temperature sensing process 600 of FIG. 6 discussed above, and therefore will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity. Also, such an operating temperature may be part of the intelligent wheel sensor system data (e.g., a type of sensor data and/or parameters generated and/or analyzed by the intelligent wheel sensor system).

Returning to fig. 7, at block 704, parameter values may be determined from the overall correlation intelligent wheel sensor system data. According to some embodiments, the difference between the sensor data and the parameter value may be a value for which the parameter value may refer to a value that may be further analyzed relative to a threshold value, while the sensor data may be data generated by the sensor without requiring another comparison or analysis relative to the threshold value. Thus, the operating temperature may be a parameter value in some embodiments, while in other embodiments may be sensor data from which the parameter value is determined. In embodiments where the parameter value is an operating temperature, no further collection and/or analysis of sensor data may be required, other than to note determining the operating temperature and the operating temperature as the parameter value.

As discussed above, the smart wheel may be a wheel of a vehicle having a local network-connected sensor system with at least one sensor arrayed on the wheel itself. The intelligent wheel sensor system may include multiple types of sensors that may each be configured to collect different types of intelligent wheel sensor system data in addition to the operating temperature and/or voltage data generated by the piezoelectric transducer for temperature determination. For example, the intelligent wheel sensor system may include one or more of: a height sensor configured to generate barometric sensor data; an acoustic sensor configured to generate acoustic sensor data; an image sensor configured to generate image sensor data; a gas sensor configured to generate gas sensor data; a magnetic sensor configured to generate magnetic sensor data; an accelerometer sensor configured to generate acceleration sensor data; a gyroscope sensor configured to generate gyroscope sensor data; and a humidity sensor configured to generate humidity sensor data. In some embodiments, these sensors may be awakened by an impact sensor, which may sense the amount of energy (e.g., voltage) produced by the piezoelectric transducer.

In some embodiments, the intelligent wheel sensor system data may be transmitted locally from a sensor platform arrayed on the intelligent wheel to a local intelligent wheel server. This communication may be via a communication interface. This communication interface may enable the devices to communicate with each other using any communication media and protocols. Thus, the communication interface may include any suitable hardware, software, or combination of hardware and software capable of coupling the respective sensor platforms with the local intelligent wheel server. The communication interface may be arranged to operate with any suitable technology to control information signals using a desired set of communication protocols, services or operating procedures. In some embodiments, this communication interface may be separate from the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus, thus having lower latency than communications across the CAN bus.

Accordingly, the intelligent wheel sensor system data may be analyzed or processed to determine parameter values. This parameter value may characterize any type of real-world parameter, such as a tire breakage probability. In some embodiments, such a parameter value may characterize a combination of different types of local intelligent wheel sensor system data and/or a combination of local intelligent wheel sensor system data with other data accessible to the local intelligent wheel server, where the combination may be expressed as a predetermined formula. For example, such a parameter value may characterize a combination of one or more of: barometric sensor data; acoustic sensor data; image sensor data; gas sensor data; magnetic sensor data; acceleration sensor data; gyroscope sensor data; humidity sensor data, etc. As another example, such a parameter value may characterize a combination of local intelligent wheel sensor system data and other data, whether predetermined (e.g., vehicle construction and other specifications) or received outside of the local intelligent wheel sensor system data (e.g., remote data, such as GPS data received from a satellite or data received from a remote server over a remote network). For example, the parameter values may take into account (e.g., reflect) any of a variety of inputs, such as mileage, wheel dynamics, tire pressure, load conditions, road conditions, balance information, altitude conditions, ambient sounds, brake dynamics, and so forth.

In various embodiments, the parameter values may represent probabilities (e.g., failure probabilities, such as tire breakage probabilities) determined via application of statistical models determined or trained by the local intelligent wheel server and/or the remote server. This statistical model may be trained using historical aggregated data (e.g., historical aggregated data among a local intelligent wheel sensor system or a plurality of intelligent wheel sensor systems). This training may be performed using machine learning techniques (e.g., via supervised or unsupervised learning). These machine learning techniques may be, for example, decision tree learning, association rule learning, artificial neural networks, deep structure learning, inductive logic programming, support vector machines, cluster analysis, bayesian networks, representation learning, similarity learning, sparse dictionary learning, learning classifier systems, and the like. This statistical model may then be applied to the new or current intelligent wheel sensor data to determine current parameter values (e.g., failure probability). This statistical model may represent this probability in view of hidden variables, interactive variables, etc. For example, these probabilities may represent the probability of tire breakage or other tire failure based at least in part on operating temperature.

At block 708, the local intelligent wheel server may determine a threshold. In some embodiments, these thresholds may be dynamically determined, and may be determined while determining whether the parameter values meet (e.g., exceed) the thresholds. However, in other embodiments, the threshold determination may be completed before determining whether the parameter value satisfies the threshold. In some embodiments, the determination of the parameter value may include retrieving the predetermined parameter value from memory or from a remote server.

In various embodiments, a threshold value may be determined for each type of parameter value. For example, there may be separate thresholds for each of the operating temperature, probability of failure, probability of tire breakage, etc., or combinations thereof. For example, the threshold may characterize a threshold operating temperature, a threshold probability of failure based at least in part on the operating temperature, and/or a threshold probability of tire failure based at least in part on the operating temperature, and/or the like.

As described above, the parameter values may be determined from a statistical analysis of the data set of parameter values. For example, parameter values may be aggregated across different criteria, such as different times (e.g., as historical parameter values), by parameter value type (e.g., operating temperature and/or failure probability, such as tire breakage probability), different smart wheels, different sensor platforms, different vehicles, and so forth. As another example, the parameter values may represent probabilities as determined by a statistical model. In some embodiments, the threshold may be determined based on the detection of outliers from the parameter values by analyzing the aggregated data according to various criteria. In some embodiments, these outliers may determine a threshold, which when met may define an adverse condition (e.g., an undesirable operating temperature and/or an undesirable probability of failure). These outliers can be determined from conventional statistical analysis of the outliers. For example, the threshold may be set to an outlier among the various probabilities (e.g., a probability value that is the outlier).

At block 710, a decision may be made as to whether any parameter value satisfies any associated threshold. As introduced above, a parameter (e.g., a parameter value) may not necessarily represent a single value, but may also represent a pattern of values and/or a range or spectrum of values, and/or values derived from a predetermined formula utilizing a predetermined combination of different data values. If so, process 700 may proceed to block 712. If not, the process 700 may return to block 702.

At block 712, an action may be performed in response to the parameter value satisfying the threshold. In some embodiments, an action may be taken when a particular parameter value meets a particular threshold. Thus, the action taken may be based on the particular parameter value being met. The action taken may be, for example, generating an alert for the driver of the vehicle or other operator of the vehicle, activating a particular safety or driving system, notifying an online database of unsafe driving conditions associated with the vehicle, etc.

Although the processing of sensor data at the local intelligent vehicle server may be described in connection with fig. 7 and various embodiments further mentioned below, in other embodiments, the intelligent wheel sensor system may process sensor data sent to a remote intelligent wheel server via a remote network. As discussed above in connection with fig. 1, this processing of sensor data may be similar to being performed locally only at the local intelligent wheel server, but is performed by a combination of both the local intelligent wheel server and the remote intelligent wheel server.

Fig. 8 is a graph of how temperature may be related to the voltage generated by the piezoelectric transducer 306, according to some embodiments. The X-axis may represent a temperature value of a tire (e.g., a flexible component of a smart wheel) contacting the piezoelectric transducer. The Y-axis may represent voltage values generated by the piezoelectric transducer (e.g., normalized voltage values during a period of operation). As illustrated in fig. 8, the voltage value may vary between a minimum voltage value and a maximum voltage value. Thus, the voltage values may peak at a particular temperature, such that there are two possible temperatures for each voltage value. In some embodiments, the graph of fig. 8 may be queried to determine the temperature of a tire (e.g., a flexible component of a smart wheel) contacting the piezoelectric transducer (e.g., as based on a voltage value generated by the piezoelectric transducer). In particular embodiments, the determination of the tire temperature may be made based on any decision to select the higher or lower of the two possible temperature values associated with the voltage value. In a particular embodiment, the operating temperature may be continuously tracked based on voltage values from a known starting temperature and starting voltage value through the curve of FIG. 8.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Likewise, the various figures may depict example architectures or configurations provided to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to appreciate the exemplary features and functionality of the present invention. However, skilled artisans will appreciate that the invention is not limited to the illustrated example architectures or configurations, but may be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. In addition, as one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, one or more features of one embodiment may be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments.

It will also be understood that any reference herein to elements by a name such as "first," "second," etc., does not generally limit the number or order of those elements. Indeed, these designations may be used herein as a convenient method of distinguishing between two or more elements or instances of an element. Thus, reference to first and second elements does not imply that only two elements may be employed or that the first element must precede the second element in some manner.

In addition, those of ordinary skill in the art would understand that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols, such as those referenced in the above description, may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

Those of ordinary skill would further appreciate that any of the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, processors, means, circuits, methods, and functions described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware (e.g., a digital implementation, an analog implementation, or a combination of the two, which may be designed using source coding or some other technique), various forms of program or design code incorporating instructions (which may be referred to herein, for convenience, as "software" or a "software module"), or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software, or a combination of such techniques, depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

Furthermore, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein may be implemented within or performed by Integrated Circuits (ICs), which may include general purpose processors, Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, or any combinations thereof. The logic blocks, modules, and circuits may include antennas and/or transceivers to communicate with various components within the network or within the device. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration, to perform the functions described herein.

If implemented in software, the functions may be stored as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Thus, the steps of a method or algorithm disclosed herein may be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media including any medium that can enable transfer of a computer program or code from one place to another. A storage media may be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer.

In this document, the term "module," as used herein, refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the associated functions described herein. Additionally, for purposes of discussion, the various modules are described as discrete modules; however, as will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, two or more modules may be combined to form a single module that performs the associated functions according to embodiments of the present invention.

Additionally, memory or other storage devices and communication components may be employed in embodiments of the present invention. It will be appreciated that the above description for clarity has described embodiments of the invention with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it will be appreciated that any suitable distribution of functionality between different functional units, processing logic elements or domains may be used without detracting from the invention. For example, the illustrated functions to be performed by separate processing logic elements or controllers may be performed by the same processing logic elements or controllers. Thus, references to specific functional units are only to references to suitable means for providing the described functionality rather than indicative of a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

Various modifications to the embodiments described in this disclosure may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein as set forth in the following claims.