A tire includes a plurality of tire components defining a plurality of layers. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is disposed between at least two of the plurality of layers. The RFID tag is in contact with each of the at least two layers and is configured to transmit a response signal in response to receiving a request signal. When no air is in a region surrounding the RFID tag, a first response signal is emitted from the tire at a first frequency and first power. However, when air is in the region surrounding the RFID tag, a second response signal is emitted from the tire at the first frequency and a second power different from the first power.

Tire sensing systems operable to determine one or more physical characteristics of a tire include millimeter wave transmitting and receiving devices. A processor is communicatively coupled with a memory that includes instructions to transmit and receive a millimeter wave toward and from the tire. Memory also includes instructions to image first and second radial extents of the tire based on the received millimeter wave as well as instructions to determine a dimensional difference between the first and second radial extents of the tire. Vehicles including such tire sensing systems as well as non-transitory machine-readable storage mediums and methods are also included.

Disclosed are various embodiments for sensing wear of a tire tread and for providing for electrostatic discharge of electrostatic charge buildup in a vehicle. Various sensor structures and electrostatic discharge structures are created using conductive rubber compositions and/or other elements to achieve tire tread wear sensing and discharge of electrostatic buildup. Such structures include conductors made of conductive rubber compositions, for example, having an uncured or cured electrical resistance at 23° C. less than about 10 KΩ when formed into a wire about 254 millimeters long and 2 millimeters in diameter.

In an embodiment, a system for wear monitoring, includes a wear surface, a metallic reflector embedded in the wear surface, a radio-wave transmitter, and a radio-wave receiver. The metallic reflector reflects radio waves transmitted by the radio-wave transmitter for detection by the radio wave receiver. Attenuation of the radio waves between transmission by the radio-wave transmitter and detection by the radio-wave receiver indicates a degree of wear of the wear surface.

A tire monitoring system may include first and second sensor elements, a circuit board, and a housing. The circuit board includes control circuitry coupled with at least one of the first and second sensor elements, wherein the control circuitry is configured to generate tire tread information based on an electrical response of at least one of the first and second sensor elements. The housing includes a housing material that surrounds the circuit board in a direction parallel with respect to a surface of the circuit board. Related methods are also discussed.

A system for determining tread wear of a tire includes a first wireless communication chip located at an inner surface of the tire and a second wireless communication chip located at an outer surface of the tire. The second chip resides in a slot extending through a housing located in a groove in a tread of the tire. The second chip moves in the slot toward the bottom of the groove in response to the tread wear. Methodology entails transmitting a first signal from a first chip, receiving the first signal at the second chip, transmitting a second signal from the second chip in response to receipt of the first signal, receiving the second signal at the first chip, computing a time delay between transmission of the first signal and receipt of the second signal, and determining tread wear of the tire in response to the time delay.

An irregular wear detection system for a tire supporting a vehicle includes a sensor unit mounted on the tire. The sensor unit includes a footprint centerline length measurement sensor to measure a centerline length of a footprint of the tire. A processor is in electronic communication with the sensor unit and receives a plurality of measured centerline lengths over time. An analysis module is stored on the processor and receives the measured centerline lengths as inputs. The analysis module detects irregular wear of the tire from the measured footprint centerline lengths. An irregular wear determination is generated by the analysis module when the measured footprint centerline lengths remain the same or increase.

The present invention relates to a novel tire safety monitoring line device which allows for automatic and continuous tire tread monitoring. The device comprises a plurality of dye-filled or paint-filled capsules embedded within the tire tread at differing tread levels. As the tire tread gets low, the capsules are exposed, breaking open and releasing the dye/paint. Thus, the colors of dye/paint released indicate differing tread levels, which alerts a user as to the tire tread level of their vehicle tire.

Methods of measuring thickness of a material using cross-capacitance. The method generally includes applying a time-varying signal to a first pad and monitoring a response of a capacitor formed by the first pad, a spaced apart second pad, and the material. The pads may be permanently affixed to the material, in spaced relation to each other. Based on the response, a capacitance of the capacitor is determined. The material may be homogenous or heterogeneous, and has dielectric properties. Because the material acts as a dielectric, the capacitance of the capacitor changes as the thickness of the material changes. Thus, the thickness of the material may be determined based on the determined capacitance. The method may be advantageously employed to measure the thickness of a vehicle tire or other material. Related apparatuses are also disclosed.

A tire condition telemetrics system. The system includes a vehicle having an onboard computer and one or more wheel assemblies with one or more tires with a tire tread. A prediction as to when said tire tread will fall below a minimum tread depth in performed. The prediction is based on an amount of distance said wheel assemblies experience said wheel slip condition, a distance said wheel assemblies drive over said one or more road materials, a distance said wheel assemblies drive in rain and snow, a distance one or more loads are on said vehicle, an amount of braking force applied by one or more braking systems to said wheel assemblies and a speed of said vehicle when said braking force is applied.