A modular drive-over vehicle inspection system for measuring tire tread depth at multiple points on each individual wheel of a moving vehicle passing through an inspection lane, and which is capable of accommodating vehicles having a range of axle configurations, including three or more of any combination of single-wheel axles, super-single wheel axles, and dual-wheel axles.

A method of monitoring one or more wheels of a vehicle is described. The method includes receiving first accelerometer measurements of a first accelerometer mounted on the vehicle's first wheel when the vehicle is moving during an interval of time, determining based on the first accelerometer measurements a first path followed by the first accelerometer when the vehicle is moving during the interval of time, determining based on the first path that the vehicle's first wheel is out of balance with respect to an axle of the vehicle's first wheel, and responsive to determining that the vehicle's first wheel is out of balance, transmitting to a user device a first alert that the vehicle's first wheel is out of balance.

A sensor retaining system for a vehicle tire is provided. The tire includes a pair of sidewalls extending from a respective bead area to a tread, which is formed with a plurality of tread elements. A sensor unit is mounted to the tire and includes a pair of electrical contacts. A tread wear sensor extends into one of the tread elements and includes a wire. The wire includes proximal ends, each one of which contacts a sensor unit electrical contact to create an electrical circuit. A flexible container is mounted to an innerliner of the tire. A cup includes a base and a sidewall that cooperate to form a cavity, and a bottom of the tread wear sensor and the sensor unit are received in the cavity. The cup maintains a connection between the electrical contacts and the wire proximal ends, and is disposed in the flexible container.

Methods, apparatuses, systems, devices, and computer program products for eliminating the need for a manual tread wear system reset in a tire management system are disclosed. In a particular embodiment, a method to eliminate the need for a manual tread wear system reset in a tire management system includes a vehicle control system (VCS) of a vehicle receiving a tire identifier for a tire corresponding to a tire sensor. In this embodiment, the vehicle control system determines, based on the tire identifier, whether the tire is in an unused state and calculates, based on whether the tire is in an unused state, a tread depth for the tire.

A tire including a bead core; bead filler; upper ply; reinforcement ply which is provided to overlap a tire-radial direction inside portion of the upper ply; and down ply which overlaps a turnup part of the upper ply and reinforcement ply, and extends from an outer side in the tire-radial direction to an inner side in the tire-radial direction so as to encompass the bead core and bead filler together with the upper ply, in which an electronic component is embedded in a region of substantially triangular shape in a cross section surrounded by the turnup part of the upper ply, down ply and an end part of the reinforcement ply.

A tire including a bead core; bead filler; upper ply; reinforcement ply which is provided to overlap a tire-radial direction inside portion of the upper ply; and down ply which overlaps a turnup part of the upper ply and reinforcement ply, and extends from an outer side in the tire-radial direction to an inner side in the tire-radial direction so as to encompass the bead core and bead filler together with the upper ply, in which an electronic component is embedded in a region of substantially triangular shape in a cross section surrounded by the turnup part of the upper ply, down ply and an end part of the reinforcement ply.

A tire wear detection apparatus for a vehicle includes a tire side apparatus and a vehicle body side system. In response to a wet road surface being detected, from a vibration waveform of a tire indicated by a detection signal according to a magnitude of a vibration of the tire, the tire side apparatus is configured to (i) acquire a peak level value of a vibration level at a stepping time at which an apparatus corresponding position in the tire corresponding to an arranged position of the tire side apparatus starts to contact the road surface, and/or (ii) calculate a level value of the vibration level in a post-kicking range after the apparatus corresponding position kicks to separate from the road surface, so as to generate a wear data indicating a wear state of the tire.

A method performed by an electronic device to monitor one or more wheels of a vehicle. The method includes receiving first accelerometer measurements of a first accelerometer mounted on the vehicle's first wheel when the vehicle is moving during an interval of time, determining based on the first accelerometer measurements a first path followed by the first accelerometer when the vehicle is moving during the interval of time, receiving second accelerometer measurements of a second accelerometer mounted on a vehicle's second wheel when the vehicle is moving during the interval of time, determining, based on the second accelerometer measurements, a second path followed by the second accelerometer when the vehicle is moving during the interval of time, and determining based on a comparison of the first path with the second path that at least one of the vehicle's first wheel and the vehicle's second wheel is misaligned.

A drive wheel for a power drive unit of a cargo handling system is disclosed. One aspect of the drive wheel is that it includes one or more wear indicators for a tire of the drive wheel. Another aspect of the drive wheel is that it includes one or more features (e.g., at least one protrusion, alone or in combination with one or more slots) that resists relative rotational movement between the tire of the drive wheel and the hub of the drive wheel.

A drive wheel for a power drive unit of a cargo handling system is disclosed. One aspect of the drive wheel is that it includes one or more wear indicators for a tire of the drive wheel. Another aspect of the drive wheel is that it includes one or more features (e.g., at least one protrusion, alone or in combination with one or more slots) that resists relative rotational movement between the tire of the drive wheel and the hub of the drive wheel.