Provided is a replacement necessity determination device for a snap-in valve having an inner end to which an air pressure detection device including an air pressure sensor and an acceleration sensor is coupled. A control device of the replacement necessity determination device is configured to predict an angle change amount of the snap-in valve and the air pressure detection device with respect to a wheel caused by a centrifugal force based on a rotational speed of the wheel and an acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor, calculate a degradation indication value of an elastic body of the snap-in valve based on a maximum value of the angle change amount during a period set in advance, and determine necessity of replacement of the snap-in valve based on an integrated value of the degradation indication value.

A transmitter is configured to be attached to each of wheel assemblies provided in a vehicle and execute a process in accordance with a command included in a trigger signal. The transmitter includes a battery, which serves as a power source for the transmitter, a condition detecting section, which is configured to detect a condition of a tire, a trigger receiving section, which is configured to receive, as the trigger signal, an unmodulated wave having a received signal strength indication greater than or equal to a predetermined received signal strength indication, a transmitting section, which is configured to transmit a signal, and a controlling section, which is configured such that, when the trigger receiving section receives the unmodulated wave, the controlling section causes the transmitting section to transmit the signal in response to the unmodulated wave. The controlling section is configured to execute an accumulation process to accumulate reception time of the unmodulated wave from a starting point in time, and shift into a restriction state to restrict a response to the unmodulated wave when the accumulated reception time reaches a predetermined time.

A transmitter is attached to each of wheel assemblies of a vehicle and transmits transmission data to a receiver. The transmitter includes a nonvolatile memory that stores multiple types of protocols, a volatile memory that stores selection information, and a transmitting unit. The selection information represents a protocol that is selected from the multiple types of protocols stored in the nonvolatile memory and corresponds to the receiver. The transmitting unit transmits transmission data conforming to a protocol. The transmitting unit transmits the transmission data conforming to the protocol represented by the selection information when the selection information is stored in the volatile memory. Also, the transmitting unit transmits the transmission data conforming to all the protocols stored in the nonvolatile memory when the selection information is not stored in the volatile memory.

Disclosed embodiments include apparatuses, systems, and methods for providing a sound indicative of a pressure of a tire relative to a target pressure. A target pressure specifier is configured to specify a target pressure for a tire and generate a target pressure signal indicative of the target pressure. A pressure monitor is configured to receive the target pressure signal, a current pressure signal indicative of a current pressure of the tire, and an indicator of a deliberate change in the current pressure and compare the current pressure signal with the target pressure signal responsive to the indicator. A status signal is generated indicative of a status of the current pressure signal relative to the target pressure signal. An audio generator is configured to receive the status signal and to generate a sound audible outside of the passenger compartment of the vehicle that is indicative of the status signal.

A method of repairing a tire includes providing a tire. The tire has a tire pressure. It is determined if the tire pressure is below a target tire pressure. If the tire pressure is below the target tire pressure a first flow of pressurized air is directed to the tire. It is determined if the tire is torn or punctured. If it is determined that the tire is torn or punctured, a signal is sent to a heating element to produce heat energy. The heat energy is transferred to a second flow of pressurized air. The heated, second flow of pressurized air is directed to the tire.

A vehicle operational diagnostics and condition response system includes at least an axle supporting a cargo transport unit frame, a suspension disposed between and secured to each the cargo transport unit frame and the axle, a load detection device interacting with the suspension and communicating with a system controller, wherein the system controller is supported by the cargo transport unit frame, and a cargo transport unit health status system supported by the cargo transport unit and configured to communicate with the system controller. The cargo transport unit health status system provides state status information for monitored operational elements of the cargo transport unit.

A method is provided for improving both landing gear wheel drive assembly performance and energy efficiency performance in an aircraft equipped with one or more landing gear wheel drive assemblies to move the aircraft autonomously on the ground without reliance on the aircraft's engines. Aircraft moved on the ground by thrust from aircraft engines may also show improved energy efficiency. The present method employs a discovered relationship between aircraft tyre pressure and landing gear wheel drive assembly performance and maintains aircraft tyre inflation pressure at an optimum high pressure that enhances both landing gear wheel drive assembly performance and aircraft energy efficiency while the aircraft are driven on the ground by the landing gear wheel drive assemblies. Operation of the landing gear wheel drive assembly may be automatically prevented by a failsafe mechanism when optimum high tyre inflation pressure levels are not maintained during aircraft ground travel.

A tire monitoring device comprising a sensor for monitoring a tire parameter and a first controller for controlling the operation of the device. A measurement apparatus is provided for generating parameter measurement data from the sensor output signal. A second controller is provided for controlling the operation of the measurement apparatus. The second controller communicates parameter data to the first controller based on the measurement data. The device is particularly suited to monitoring tire pressure and detecting tire burst events.

A device for controlling tire pressure is disclosed which comprises a pump (28) having opposed pistons (30) which reciprocate in cylinders (40) carried by a casing (38). The pistons (30) are at the outer ends of rings (50) which are themselves fitted to an eccentric (26). The eccentric (26) is integral with a clutch plate (24). A second clutch plate (22) is fixed to a non-rotating axle (18) which itself forms part of a hanging counterweight structure (20). A piston (84) pushes the eccentric and clutch plate (26, 24) against the clutch plate (22) thereby to prevent the eccentric (26) from rotating with the rings (50) upon a sensor detecting that a tire has a low pressure in it. Stopping the eccentric initiates the pumping action of the pistons (30).

A system for predicting tire lift-off propensity of a vehicle tire includes a vehicle tire-affixed tire-identification device for providing a tire-specific identification, multiple tire-affixed sensors mounted to the tire measuring tire-specific parameters and generating tire-specific parameter information, one or more vehicle-affixed sensor(s) mounted to the vehicle to measure vehicle speed and a lift-off propensity estimator generating a lift-off propensity for the vehicle tire from a database containing experimentally-derived, tire-ID specific, lift-off propensities correlated with measured tire-specific parameter information and vehicle speeds.