The invention concerns a system and a method for detecting potential damages to tires of motor vehicles due to impacts against/on obstacles.

A system for determining a tire change status in a vehicle is provided. The system includes at least one processing device and a storage device. The at least one processing device may be arranged to: calculate a value of at least one reference parameter which may be used in indirect tire pressure monitoring; store the calculated value of said at least one reference parameter in the storage device; retrieve a previously stored value of said at least one reference parameter from the storage device; determine a similarity parameter based on a similarity between the calculated value and the previously stored value of said at least one reference parameter; and determine a tire change status, indicating whether or not the tires have been re-filled or replaced, by comparing said similarity parameter with a threshold.

A processing device (120) of a tire state detection system (100) is provided with an acceleration data acquisition unit (123) for acquiring the acceleration data detected by an acceleration sensor (111) at every predetermined acquisition interval, an acceleration data extraction unit (125) for extracting the maximum acceleration data indicating at least the maximum acceleration and the intermediate acceleration data indicating the intermediate acceleration excluding the minimum acceleration data indicating the minimum acceleration from 3 or more acceleration data acquired sequentially, and a calculation unit (127) for executing an calculation using the extracted intermediate acceleration data.

Tires including a bodies formed of one or more tire plies are disclosed. In various implementations, a tire may include several split-ring resonators (SRRs), each associated with a natural resonance frequency configured to shift in response to a change in an elastomeric property of a respective one or more tire plies. The elastomeric property may include one or more of a reversible deformation, stress, or strain. In some implementations, the one or more SRRs may include a first split-ring resonator (SRR) including first carbon particles that may uniquely resonate in response to an electromagnetic ping based at least in part on a concentration level of the first carbon particles within the first SRR and a second SRR including second carbon particles that may uniquely resonate in response to the electromagnetic ping based at least in part on a concentration level of the second carbon particles within the second SRR.

Provided is an apparatus for generating direct current using continuous polarization change of piezoelectric materials. For example, a piezoelectric direct current generator includes a first electrode, a polarized piezoelectric material layer disposed on a first surface of the first electrode, and a second electrode disposed on a surface opposite to the first electrode and coupled to move along the piezoelectric material layer while pressing the piezoelectric material layer.

An assembly for mounting an electronics package to a tire includes an electronics package, a mount with a peripheral flange, and an attachment patch. The electronics package is connected to the mount, which is in contact with the tire. The attachment patch is connected to the mount and includes a central opening that it smaller than the peripheral flange. The attachment patch is further affixed to the tire.

A disclosed vehicle component may include at least one split-ring resonator, which may be embedded within a material. The split ring resonator may be formed from a three-dimensional (3D) monolithic carbonaceous growth and may detect an electromagnetic ping emitted from a user device. The split ring resonator may generate an electromagnetic return signal in response to the electromagnetic ping. The electromagnetic return signal may indicate a state of the material in a position proximate to a respective split ring resonator. In some aspects, the split-ring resonator may resonate at a first frequency in response to the electromagnetic ping when the material is in a first state, and may resonate at a second frequency in response to the electromagnetic ping when the material is in a second state. A resonant frequency of the 3D monolithic carbonaceous growth may be based on physical characteristics of the material.

An antenna is installed on an installation surface of a wheel. The antenna includes a first conductor, a second conductor, one or more third conductors, a fourth conductor, and a feeding line. The first conductor and the second conductor face each other in a first axis. The one or more third conductors are located between the first conductor and the second conductor and extend in the first axis. The fourth conductor is connected to the first conductor and the second conductor and extends in the first axis. The feeding line is electromagnetically connected to the third conductor. The first conductor and the second conductor are capacitively connected via the third conductor. A surface of the fourth conductor faces the installation surface of the wheel in a second axis perpendicular to the first axis.

A tire data information system includes at least one tire that supports a vehicle and a processor. At least one sensor is mounted on the tire and is in electronic communication with the processor. The sensor measures a temperature and a pressure of the tire. A memory for storing tire identification information is in electronic communication with the processor. A tire wear state estimator generates a wear state of the tire and is in electronic communication with the processor. A tire wear rate estimator generates a wear rate of the tire and is in electronic communication with the processor. An antenna transmits the temperature, pressure, identification information, wear state, and wear rate of the tire to a display device that is accessible to a user of the vehicle. The display device includes indicators for showing the temperature, pressure, identification information, wear state, and wear rate to the user.

A system and method include, among other things, providing at least one vehicle transceiver and at least one tire information sensor for a tire on a vehicle and wirelessly communicating between the at least one vehicle transceiver and the at least one tire information sensor via a signal. A phase shift in the signal is determined and a physical distance between the at least one vehicle transceiver and the at least one tire information sensor is determined based on the phase shift. A position of the at least one tire information sensor within the vehicle is then determined based on the physical distance.