Abstract:
A system and method for automatically inflating tires mounted on a vehicle without requiring the occupants of the vehicle from leaving the interior of the vehicle. In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a system for automatically inflating a tire of a vehicle. The system determines a location of a valve stem of the tire and a robotic arm for inflating the tire. The robotic arm attaches to the located valve stem based on the determined valve stem location. The robotic arm supplies air to the tire from an air supply. The valve stem is located and the robotic arm attaches to the valve stem based on the determined valve stem location, inflates the tire and detaches from the tire upon determining that a predetermined tire air pressure is attained.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates to vehicular maintenance. Specifically, and not by way of limitation, the present invention relates to an automated tire inflation system and method. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    There are over 250 million vehicles on the United States roads today. These vehicles require periodic maintenance in order to keep the vehicles running efficiently and safely. One such maintenance item is the periodic inflation of air into the vehicle&#39;s tires. Due to normal tire leakage, on average, a vehicle&#39;s tires lose one to two pounds per square inch a month. Without proper inflation of a vehicle&#39;s tires, gas consumption increases dramatically. With the current oil crisis, it is imperative that each vehicle is efficiently operating to ensure that the vehicle operates at an optimum level without consuming more gas than is necessary. Additionally, from a safety standpoint, proper tire inflation is necessary for the vehicle&#39;s tires to grip the road properly and prevent inadvertent slipping on the road. In particular, the effectiveness of under-inflated tires on wet roads is even worse. 
         [0005]    However, although most people are aware of the importance of proper inflation of tires, the National Highway traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 30 percent of vehicles on the road have one or more tires which are substantially underinflated. There are several reasons why the tires are under-inflated. First of all, although not difficult, inflation of tires is tedious and can be a dirty task for which many people do not wish to contend with. Additionally, most tire inflation stations are located outside and many people do not want to remain outside in hot or cold weather, even though it is only for a few minutes. Furthermore, full service gas stations are a rarity. With most people&#39;s busy schedules, most vehicle owners also do not remember to check the tire pressure for their vehicles. Additionally, although many people go to dedicated lube and oil stations to service the oil in the vehicle which usually entails checking the tire pressure, with new advanced oil, many vehicles are going a longer period of time between the servicing of oil. Furthermore, tire pressure monitors do not trigger an alert until a tire&#39;s pressure falls 25% below manufacturer&#39;s recommended tire pressure. With many people relying on these tire pressure monitors to alert them of underinflated tires, there is a further section of the driving population which do not drive with properly inflated tires. 
         [0006]    Thus, it would be advantageous to have a system and method to automatically inflate the tires of a vehicle to a proper pressure which is convenient and does not result in the driver leaving the vehicle. It is an object of the present invention to provide such a system and method. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention provides a system and method for automatically inflating tires mounted to a vehicle without requiring the occupants of the vehicle from leaving the interior of the vehicle. In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a system for automatically inflating a tire of a vehicle. The system determines a location of a valve stem of the tire and a robotic arm for inflating the tire. The robotic arm attaches to the located valve stem based on the determined valve stem location. The robotic arm supplies air to the tire from an air supply. The valve stem is located and the robotic arm attaches to the valve stem based on the determined valve stem location, inflates the tire and detaches from the tire upon determining that a predetermined tire air pressure is attained. 
         [0008]    In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a method of automatically inflating a tire mounted on a vehicle. The method begins by determining a location of a valve stem of the tire. A robotic arm attaches to the valve stem based on the determined valve stem location and supplies air to the tire. The robotic arm supplies air to a level sufficient to attain a predetermined tire air pressure and then detaches from the valve stem. 
         [0009]    In still another aspect, the present invention is directed to an air station for automatically inflating a tire mounted on a vehicle. The air station includes an enclosure. The location of a valve stem of the tire is determined, the vehicle is immobilized when inflating the tire of the vehicle, and a robotic arm attaches to the located valve stem based on the determined valve stem location and supplies air to the tire from the air supply. Upon determining that a predetermined tire air pressure is attained, the robotic arm detaches from the valve stem. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an automated tire inflation system  10  in the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of the automated tire inflation system  10  within the air station  12  in one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is an end view of the extension  76  of a robotic arm depicted in  FIG. 2 ; and 
           [0013]      FIGS. 4A-4D  is a flow chart illustrating the steps of automatically inflating tires mounted on a vehicle according to the teachings of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    The present invention is an automated tire inflation system and method.  FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an automated tire inflation system  10  in the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The automated tire inflation system includes an air station  12  having a tire detection/location mechanism  14 , a robotic inflation system  16 , an optional payment mechanism  18 , an optional display  20 , and a processor  22  for controlling the operation of the air station  12 . 
         [0015]    The air station may be an enclosed structure having a roof and walls housing the robotic inflation system, display  20  and the processor  22 . The payment mechanism  18  may be located either inside the air station or located at an entry of the air station. Alternatively, or in conjunction with the payment mechanism  18 , the system may store vehicle information obtained from a previous use of the air station by the vehicle in a central database  24 . From this previous use of the air station by the vehicle, the air station may store information, such as desired tire pressure of the tires and an identifying indicia (e.g., license plate or identification card), in the central database. The central database may be available to other air stations to retrieve information when the vehicle utilizes the air station. Furthermore, the central database may store payment information, such as credit card information, which negates the necessity for a driver to utilize the payment mechanism  18 . Additionally, a person may register a vehicle with relevant tire information and payment invention via the Internet, which may be conveyed to the central database. The system may recognize previous uses of the air station by the vehicle by recognizing the license plate number, a specific identification card or other identifying mechanism. In another embodiment, the air station may be an open-air facility. 
         [0016]    The tire detection/location mechanism  14  provides a capability for detecting and locating the tires and valve stem, which is necessary for inflating the tires. In one embodiment, the present invention may utilize a structured light or laser system for scanning the tire to determine various types of information on the tire, such as the location of the valve stem, the tread depth of the tire, type of tire, etc. In another embodiment, the tire detection/location mechanism  14  may utilize an optical system (e.g., cameras) for recognizing and locating the valve stem. 
         [0017]    The robotic inflation system  16  may be any device which automatically inflates the tire. In one embodiment, the robotic inflation system utilizes one or more robotic arms having the capability of optionally removing a valve stem cap, connecting the valve stem with an air compressor, monitoring the air pressure of the tire, inflating the tire with air to a proper pressure, and optionally positioning the valve stem cap back on the valve stem. The robotic arm may be articulated enabling the retraction and extension of the robotic arm as necessary. Furthermore, the robotic arm may move in one or more axis, preferably having a five-axis motion capability, to enable the robotic arm to connect to the valve stem. The robotic arm is coupled to an air source, such as an air compressor. 
         [0018]    The automated tire inflation system  10  may include the payment mechanism  18  providing information on instructions for using the tire inflation system, enable the user to input specific information on the vehicle and its tires, and pay for use of the system. The payment mechanism may include a conventional credit card payment device and may also include the capability of receiving cash. As discussed above, in conjunction with the payment mechanism  18  or in place of the payment mechanism  18 , the system may store vehicle information obtained from a previous use of the air station by the vehicle in the central database  24 . The central database may store payment information, such as credit card information, which negates the necessity for a driver to utilize the payment mechanism  18 . 
         [0019]    The automated tire inflation may also include a display  20  providing information on the servicing of the tire pressure to the vehicle&#39;s tires. The display may provide information on the air added to each tire, the previous and present tire pressure, as well as tread depth and condition of each tire. 
         [0020]    The processor  22  may be any computing device enabling control of the robotic inflation system tire detection/location mechanism, the payment mechanism and display. The processor may also include a memory for storing information on the vehicle and its tires, enabling the automated tire inflation system to automatically inflate the tires to the proper pressure. In addition, the central database  24  may store vehicle information for use by one or more air stations. The processor may communicate with the central database via a wirelessly or wired communications link. 
         [0021]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of the automated tire inflation system  10  within the air station  12  in one embodiment of the present invention. The air station includes an enclosure  30  for protecting the equipment of the automated tire inflation system  10  from inclement weather. The enclosure  30  may include an entrance  32  and an exit  34  protected by guard posts  36  to prevent damage by vehicles entering and exiting the enclosure  30 . The payment mechanism  18  may be an entry terminal  38  located prior to the entrance of the enclosure or within the enclosure. The enclosure  30  is sized to accommodate a vehicle  40 . The air station may include forward wheel blocks  42  to immobilize the vehicle during the operation of inflating the tires. The wheel blocks may extend upward from the ground to prevent movement of the vehicle. In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the wheel blocks may be located to immobilize the rear wheels or all the wheels of the vehicle. 
         [0022]    The air station  12  may utilize a plurality of robotic arms  50 ,  52 ,  54 , and  56  in the robotic inflation system  16 . The robotic arms may provide movement horizontally and vertically to position the robotic arms to align with the valve stem of a tire of the vehicle. As depicted in  FIG. 2 , the left robotic arms  50  and  52  are shown retracted and the right robotic arms  54  and  56  are shown extended toward the tires of the vehicle. The rear robotic arms  52  and  56  may be mounted on rails  58  to enable the rear robotic arms to be aligned adjacent the rear tires of the vehicle. Thus, the present invention may accommodate vehicles of various lengths. 
         [0023]    The air station  12  may also utilize a plurality of wheel cameras  60  within the tire detection/location mechanism  14  to align the robotic arms with the tire valve stems through optically recognition and alignment techniques well known in assembly industries. The air station  12  may also include license plate cameras  62  to obtain information on the vehicle. The image of the license plate may be sent to the processor  22  for recognition of the characters on the license plate. The information on the license plate and associated tire pressure information may be stored in a memory of the processor. When the vehicle uses the system  10  again, the processor may recognize the license plate number, enabling the processor to determine the correct tire pressure from the previous use. 
         [0024]    The air station may also house an air supply system  64  having an air compressor, pressure regulator, dryers, etc. which provides all the necessary equipment for supplying air to the tires of the vehicle. The display  20  may be located adjacent the driver&#39;s seat. The display may provide information on the vehicle, such as previous and current tire pressure, as well as provide an indication to the driver on when the vehicle is properly positioned in the air station  12 . The processor may be located anywhere near the air station. 
         [0025]    As depicted, the robotic arms each articulate at two points  70  and  72  to enable the robotic arm to extend and retract as necessary. The robotic arm may also rotate about a vertical axis about a point  74 . Furthermore, the robotic arm may be able to vertically move up and down to accommodate the vertical position of the tire valve stem. As discussed above, the rear robotic arms may further move about the rails  58  to accommodate vehicles of various lengths. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the robotic arm has a five-axis motion capability. Each robotic arm may include an extension  76  which may include one or more cameras, a cap tool, an air chuck, an Infrared (IR) temperature sensor, and illumination devices for illuminating the tire. It should be understood that the robotic arms may be embodied in any fashion which enables the robotic arm to detect a valve stem and supply air to the tire and is not limited to the robotic arms depicted in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 3  is an end view of the extension  76  of a robotic arm depicted in  FIG. 2 . The extension provides an end portion of the robotic arm for engaging the valve stem of the vehicle&#39;s tire. Preferably, the extension  76  rotates about a point  80 . The extension may include an air chuck  82 , a cap tool  84 , a scanner module  86 , and an IR Temperature module  88 . The air chuck  82  is sized and shaped to fit upon a standard tire valve stem. The system may include a tire air pressure sensing device to measure the pressure of the tire. The cap tool  84  may be used to remove a cap covering the tire valve stem. The cap tool may also include a plurality of telescopic fingers  90  for grasping the cap. The cap tool may also rotate in either direction to twist the cap off and place the cap on the valve stem after the tire has been filled with air. Additionally, the cap tool may include a plurality of cameras  92  with illumination devices for optically aligning the cap tool to the cap of the valve stem. 
         [0027]    The scanner module  86  may be used either in place of or in conjunction with the wheel cameras  60  and  92  to align the cap tool and the air chuck on the tire stem. The scanner module may emit a structured light, such as a laser, upon the tire to detect the tire as well as the position and orientation of the valve stem. The structured light may reflect off the tire and be detected by the scanner module  86 . Additionally, the extension  76  may also include the IR temperature module  88  for determining the temperature of the tire. It is well known that tire pressure is affected by temperature. Thus, to obtain an accurate and correct tire pressure, the IR temperature module may utilize an IR device to determine the temperature of the tire. This information may be sent back to the processor  22  for determination of the correct amount of air to inflate the tire. 
         [0028]    With reference to  FIGS. 1-3 , the operation of the automated tire inflation system  10  will now be explained. The vehicle  40  may approach the air station  12 . Prior to using the air station, information and payment is entered into the entry terminal  38 . Preferably, the driver may provide payment using a credit card, a debit card or cash. Additionally, the user may provide some identification of the vehicle or owner of the vehicle, such as a card or other identifying information (e.g., telephone number, address, license plate number, etc.). This information may be used to determine the proper pressure of the tires. Alternately, the driver may provide the type and size of tire or vehicle make and model. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the license plate cameras  62  may capture an image of the vehicle  40  which is sent to the processor  22 . The processor  22  may implement an image recognition program to determine the license plate number and check the license plate number with any stored license plate numbers (e.g., previous use of the system by the vehicle) stored in the database  24  to determine the proper tire pressure for the vehicle&#39;s tires. Furthermore, the central database may store payment information associated with the vehicle, thereby negating the necessity to provide payment information to the entry terminal. Upon payment and optional data entry, the driver enters the enclosure  30  through the entrance  32 . The vehicle is then positioned by the driver in the enclosure  30 . Indication or cues of the proper position of the vehicle may be obtained from the display  20 . For example, a green light may be illuminated to indicate that the vehicle should move forward. A red light may indicate that the vehicle should stop. The front wheels may be positioned within a detent on the ground to indicate the proper position for the vehicle. Next, the vehicle position may be optionally secured. As depicted in  FIG. 2 , the front wheels are blocked by the wheel blocks  42  which extend upwardly to prevent movement of the vehicle. However, wheel blocks may be positioned upon any tires of the vehicle. The display  20  may provide an indication for the driver to shut the engine off. A microphone may be used to verify that the engine is shut down. 
         [0029]    Next, the rear wheels are located. The system  10  utilizes the tire detection/location mechanism  14  to locate the position of the rear wheels. Alternately, the processor may determine the location of the rear wheels by accessing the processor memory which may store the location of the rear wheels by previous use of the system  10 . The system may also use computer vision (CV) through the cameras  60  or through the scanner module  86  to determine the location of the rear wheels. Next, the rear robotic arms  52  and  56  are moved upon the rails  58  to align the robotic arms with the rear wheels of the vehicle in a similar fashion as a computer numerical controlled (CNC) device is moved to a proper position. 
         [0030]    In one embodiment, the scanner module may be used to read the imprint of the tire size to determine or verify the correct pressure. Additionally, the scanner module may be used to determine the tread condition and provide an indication if tires need to be replaced. The tread condition may be determined by the robotic arm moving to a position adjacent the tire tread to view the tire tread. 
         [0031]    Next, the tire valve stem is located by the CV of the tire detection/location mechanism  14  (e.g., the cameras and/or scanner module). Next, the robotic arm and extension  76  are aligned with the valve stem by extension of the robotic arm as well as repositioning of the vertical and horizontal position of the robotic arm. Next, the valve cap is detected and removed by the cap tool  84 . In one embodiment, the telescopic fingers grasps, rotates and removes the cap from the valve stem. The fingers may include touch sensors to refine the position of the cap tool. Next, the extension  76  rotates to position the air chuck  82  adjacent the valve stem. The air chuck then extends to engage the valve stem. The system may then check the pressure of the tire. The temperature of the tire may then be determined by the IR temperature module  88 . Information of the pressure and temperature of the tire is then sent to the processor  22 . In one embodiment, the information is transmitted to the processor. The processor then determines the proper amount of air to supply the tire and commands the air chuck to supply the determined air to each tire. The pressure is then re-checked and air is then added or removed as necessary. 
         [0032]    The extension  76  of the robotic arm is then rotated to position the cap tool  84  adjacent the valve stem. The cap is then positioned upon the valve stem by rotating the cap on the valve stem. The robotic arm is then retracted. Information on the amount of air added, previous tire pressure and current tire pressure may also be displayed on the display  20 . Next, the wheel blocks are retracted. The display may provide a cue to the driver to start the engine and exit the enclosure through the exit  34 . The processor may also generate a report which is optionally sent via email to the vehicle&#39;s owner&#39;s email address or printed out at the air station for dissemination to the driver of the vehicle. In addition, the processor may store vehicle information and/or payment information in the central database or processor memory. 
         [0033]    The present invention may utilize one or more robotic arms to properly inflate the tires. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, four robotic arms are used to accommodate all four wheels simultaneously. In additionally, currently there are caps which are double seal or fill through caps. Inflation of these tires may be accomplished without removing the caps. In such valve stems, the present invention may detect the presence of such valve stems and delete the process of removing a cap. 
         [0034]      FIGS. 4A-4D  is a flow chart illustrating the steps of automatically inflating tires mounted on a vehicle according to the teachings of the present invention. With reference to  FIGS. 1-4 , the method will now be explained. The method begins in step  100  where the driver provides payment and optionally provides relevant information to the entry terminal  38 . Preferably, the driver may provide payment using a credit card, a debit card or cash. Additionally, the user may provide some identification of the vehicle or owner of the vehicle, such as a card or other identifying information (e.g., telephone number, address, license plate number, toll tag, etc.). This information may be used to determine the proper pressure of the tires. Alternately, the driver may provide the type and size of tire or vehicle make and model. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the license plate cameras  62  may capture an image of the vehicle  40  which is sent to the processor  22 . The processor  22  may implement an image recognition program to determine the license plate number and check the license plate number with any stored numbers in the central database  24  to determine the proper tire pressure for the vehicle&#39;s tires derived from previous uses of the system  10 . Additionally, the central database may store payment information associated with the vehicle, which may negate the necessity of the driver providing payment information to the entry terminal. Next, in step  102 , the driver, upon providing payment and optional data entry to the entry terminal  38 , the driver enters the enclosure  30  through the entrance  32 . The vehicle is guided by the display into a proper position within the enclosure to allow inflation of the tires. Indication or cues of the proper position of the vehicle may be obtained from the display  20 . For example, a green light may be illuminated to indicate that the vehicle should move forward. A red light may indicate that the vehicle should stop. The front wheels may be positioned within a detent on the ground to indicate the proper position for the vehicle to the driver. Next, in step  104 , the vehicle position may be optionally secured. As depicted in  FIG. 2 , the front wheels are blocked by the wheel blocks  42  which extend upwardly to prevent movement of the vehicle. However, wheel blocks may be positioned upon any tire of the vehicle. The display  20  may provide an indication for the driver to shut the engine off. A microphone may be used to verify that the engine is shut down. 
         [0035]    Next, in step  106 , the rear wheels are located. The system  10  may utilize the tire detection/location mechanism  14  to locate the position of the rear wheels. Alternately, the process may determine the rear wheels&#39; positions by accessing the processor&#39;s memory to determine where the rear wheels are located, which may have been determined by previous uses of the air station. The system may also use CV through the cameras  60  or through the scanner module  86  to determine the location of the rear wheels. Next, in step  108 , the rear robotic arms  52  and  56  are moved along the rails  58  to align the robotic arms with the rear wheels of the vehicle. 
         [0036]    In one embodiment, the scanner module may be used to read the imprint of the tire size to determine or verify the correct pressure. Additionally, the scanner module may be used to check the tread condition and provide an indication if tires need to be replaced. The tread condition may be determined by the robotic arm moving to a position adjacent the tire tread to view the tire tread. In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the scanner module may be located separately from the robotic arm. 
         [0037]    The method then proceeds to step  108  where the valve stem for each tire is located by the CV of the tire detection/location mechanism  14  (e.g., the cameras and/or scanner module). Next, in step  110 , the robotic arm and extension  76  are aligned with the valve stem. In step  112 , the valve cap is detected and removed by the cap tool  84 . In one embodiment, the telescopic fingers grasps, rotates and removes the cap from the valve stem. The fingers may include touch sensors to refine the position of the cap tool. Next, in step  114 , the extension  76  rotates to position the air chuck  82  adjacent the valve stem. As discussed above, currently there are caps which are double seal or fill through caps. Inflation of these tires may be accomplished without removing the caps. In such valve stems, the present invention may detect the presence of such valve stems and delete the process of removing and repositioning a cap on the valve stem. The air chuck then connects to the valve stem in step  116 . In step  118 , the system determines the current tire pressure and optionally determines the temperature of the tire by the IR temperature module  88 . Next, in step  120 , information of the pressure and temperature of the tire is then sent to the processor  22 . In step  122 , the processor then determines the proper amount of air to supply the tire and commands the air chuck to supply the determined air to each tire. In step  124 , the air is delivered to the tire. In step  126 , the pressure is then re-checked and air is then added or removed as necessary. 
         [0038]    Next, in step  128 , the extension  76  of the robotic arm is then rotated to position the cap tool  84  adjacent the valve stem and the cap tool positions the cap back on the valve stem. In step  130 , the robotic arm is then retracted. Information on the amount of air added, previous tire pressure and current tire pressure may also be displayed on the display  20 . Next, in step  132 , the wheel blocks are retracted. In addition, the display may provide a cue to the driver to start the engine and exit the enclosure through the exit  34 . The processor may then optionally generate a report which may be sent via email to the vehicle&#39;s owner&#39;s email address or printed at the air station for immediate delivery to the driver. Furthermore, the processor may store information on the vehicle and/or payment information in the central database  24  or the processor&#39;s memory. In step  134 , the vehicle exits the enclosure. 
         [0039]    Although robotic arms and their attached extensions are described, it should be understood that any mechanism which enables the automatic inflation of tires may be used and still remain in the scope of the present invention. Also, the present invention may use one or more robotic arms. The tire detection/location mechanism  14  may be an optical system, a scanner module or any other mechanism which can detect and provide information on positioning the robotic arms to inflate the tires. 
         [0040]    The present invention provides many advantages over existing inflation methods and systems. The present invention provides a simple system and method for automatically inflating tires. The present invention does not require the driver to exit the vehicle. Furthermore, the present invention provides a capability of determining the correct pressure for the vehicle&#39;s tires. 
         [0041]    While the present invention is described herein with reference to illustrative embodiments for particular applications, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the teachings provided herein will recognize additional modifications, applications, and embodiments within the scope thereof and additional fields in which the present invention would be of significant utility. 
         [0042]    Thus, the present invention has been described herein with reference to a particular embodiment for a particular application. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the present teachings will recognize additional modifications, applications and embodiments within the scope thereof. 
         [0043]    It is therefore intended by the appended claims to cover any and all such applications, modifications and embodiments within the scope of the present invention.