IP Library Granted Patent US 12,344,044
Granted Patent B2
US 12,344,044 · App. 18/325,060 · Granted Jul 1, 2025

Tire scanning diagnostic apparatus and system

Inventors: Ryan Eade (Durham, NC); M. Scot Wingo (Durham, NC); Zach Fearnside (Durham, NC); Mark Welker (Durham, NC); Shannon Kotraba (Durham, NC)
B60C11/246B60C11/243B60C25/007G06F3/0488G06T7/0004G06V10/147G06V10/70G06T2207/20081G06T2207/30252
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,344,044
App. No.
18/325,060
Granted
Jul 1, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The tire sensing and analysis system may comprise a measurement device and local application software. The measurement device may make contact with a tire of a vehicle such that the measurement device is positioned at a specific distance and orientation relative to the tire. The measurement device may capture multiple images of the tire using an RGB camera and a pair of infrared cameras. The local application software may analyze the images and may construct a 3D mesh describing the 3-dimensional contours of the tread. The local application software may determine a tread depth, tread issues, and tire condition and may display status and warning messages on a display unit that is coupled to the measurement device. The measurements may be communicated to remote application software for additional analysis. As non-limiting examples, the remote application software may detect specific tire wear patterns and may transmit a report to share results of the analysis.

Claims (18)

1. A device for data collection and analysis of a vehicle tire, comprising:

a handle configured to support a camera and one or more illumination panels;

an electronic touchscreen display panel;

said camera and one or more illumination panels oriented to capture one or more images of a tire surface when the scan operation is initiated;

said touchscreen display panel providing a view of the said one or more images of the tire surface captured as live images;

said captured one or more images of a tire surface stored within an electronic storage element within said device and transmitted from said device to a data processor external to said device;

said device in data communication with an application software module within said data processor controlling LED light assemblies, capturing said one or more images of a tire surface, analyzing said captured tire surface images, overlaying said analysis on said images as graphics and text information of tire surface metrics to create result images, and presenting said result images on said electronic touchscreen display panel;

said captured one or more images of a tire surface and determined plurality of tire metrics displayed to a technician on said electronic touchscreen display panel.

2. The device of claim 1 , where said illumination panels comprise individual high intensity LED lights.

3. The device of claim 2 , where said high intensity LED lights further comprise optical lenses to focus and direct generated light from said LED lights.

4. The device of claim 1 , where said device further comprises one or more sensors.

5. The device of claim 4 , where said sensors are configured to capture tread depth, tire data, and additional metrics about a tire or a vehicle associated with said tire.

6. The device of claim 5 , where said LED light assemblies comprise RGB LED lights, white LED lights, IR LED lights, or any combination thereof.

7. The device of claim 1 , where said device transmits tire conditions, vehicle information, and/or recommendations for repair, replacement, cautionary, or informational data to a user of said device.

8. The device of claim 7 , further comprising a wireless communication capacity to exchange data and commands with an external system server utilizing a smartphone, a cellphone network, a computer network, or combinations thereof.

9. The device of claim 1 , where said electronic touchscreen display panel further comprises displaying control information, operational status, or other system information in addition to image information.

10. The device of claim 1 , where the device further comprises a swivel joint operable to change the viewing angle of said electronic display.

11. The device of claim 1 , where the application software module further comprises a machine learning system to train the device on common and repeatable operations.

Assignments (5)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 12, 2026
From: LIVE OAK BANKING COMPANY
To: GET SPIFFY, INC.; SPIFFY FRANCHISING, LLC
Reel/Frame 073432/0638 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 25, 2023
From: EADE, RYAN; WINGO, M. SCOT; FEARNSIDE, ZACH; WELKER, MARK; KOTRABA, SHANNON
To: GET SPIFFY, INC.
Reel/Frame 064711/0452 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 1, 2023
From: GET SPIFFY, INC.; SPIFFY FRANCHISING, LLC
To: LIVE OAK BANKING COMPANY
Reel/Frame 064457/0319 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 17, 2023
From: GET SPIFFY, INC.
To: TRINITY CAPITAL INC.
Reel/Frame 064284/0875 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 17, 2023
From: GET SPIFFY, INC.
To: TRINITY CAPITAL INC.
Reel/Frame 064287/0380 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation In Part 17534623 · Nov 24, 2021
Related Publication 20230302855A1 · Sep 28, 2023
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