Patent ID: 8154283

Claim:
A method for analyzing at least one material characteristic of an elastomeric material in a tire under evaluation using a nuclear magnetic resonance measuring system comprising a nuclear magnetic resonance sensor, the method comprising: a) automatically detecting a location of a tread block of the tire by carrying out a first nuclear magnetic resonance measuring cycle comprising the following steps: aa) positioning a nuclear magnetic resonance sensor at a first measuring point located away from the external surface of the tire; ab) applying a first exciting signal to the tire by said nuclear magnetic resonance sensor at the first measuring point; ac) receiving a first feedback signal resulting from said first exciting signal; ad) storing the first feedback signal and the position of the first measuring point; ae) positioning said nuclear magnetic resonance sensor at another measuring point located away from the external surface of the tire; af) again applying the first exciting signal to the tire by said nuclear magnetic resonance sensor at the another measuring point; ag) receiving another feedback signal resulting from said again applied first exciting signal; ah) storing the another feedback signal and the position of the another measuring point; ai) detecting the location of the tread block by analyzing the intensities of the feedback signals received in ac) and ag); and b) carrying out a second nuclear magnetic resonance measuring cycle at the location of said tread block comprising; ba) positioning said nuclear magnetic resonance sensor at the tread block in direct contact with an external surface of said tread block; bb) applying a second exciting signal to said tread block by said nuclear magnetic resonance sensor; bc) receiving a second feedback signal resulting from the said second exciting signal; bd) storing the second feedback signal and the position of the tread block; be) comparing the second feedback signal with at least one conventionally known a priori reference signal in order to determine the at least one material characteristic of the elastomeric material; and bf) providing the determined material characteristic to a user in order to facilitate evaluation of the tire.