System and method for managing a plurality of tires

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer program products are provided for managing a plurality of tires from their procurement through their disposal. An embodiment may include a method for determining all the costs of a tire over its total service life including procurement costs, repair costs, retread costs and disposal costs. An embodiment may include managing an inventory by automatically replenishing the inventory by following a set of stored inventory management rules. An embodiment may include helping to ensure that an impermissible tire is not mounted on a vehicle. A stored set of tire mounting rules automatically check the tire being mounted against requirements for the tire set by the rules, the requirements set as to by vehicle type and wheel position.

1 - 39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . A method in a distributed data processing system for determining a wear rate for each of a plurality of tires, the method comprising:
 creating a plurality of individual tire records, wherein one each of the plurality of individual tire records is associated with one each of the plurality of tires;   storing a procurement notification for each of the tires in the associated individual tire record upon the tire being procured, the procurement notification comprising a tire size, a tire make, a tire series and a unique tire identifier, wherein the unique tire identifier provides a unit of identification for the tire;   storing a mount notification for each of the tires in the associated individual tire record each time the tire is mounted on a vehicle, the mount notification comprising the unique tire identifier, a unique vehicle identifier that provides a unit identification for the vehicle and a mounting position on the vehicle;   storing a dismount notification for each of the tires in the associated individual tire record each time the tire is dismounted from the vehicle, the dismount notification comprising the unique tire identifier and the unique vehicle identifier;   defining a service segment for each of the tires in the associated individual tire record as a period between mounting the tire and dismounting the tire from the vehicle;   storing tread depth information for the defined service segment for each of the tires in the associated individual tire record, wherein the tread depth information is selected from a mount tread depth, a dismount tread depth, a difference between the mount and the dismount tread depth or combinations thereof;   storing a vehicle service indicator selected from a tire mount reading, a tire dismount reading, a difference between the tire mount and tire dismount reading or combinations thereof for the defined service segment for each of the tires in the associated individual tire record, wherein the vehicle service indicator is based upon a reading from at least one of an odometer or an hour meter;   storing a retread notification for each of the tires in the associated individual tire record upon the tire being retreaded, the retread notification comprising the unique tire identifier and a description of a tire retread; and   determining by the data processing system a wear ratio for each service segment stored in the associated individual tire record of the tire, wherein the wear ratio is the difference measured by the service indicators over each service segment divided by the difference between the mount and the dismount tread depths over each service segment; and   determining by the data processing system a total wear rate of the tire, wherein the total wear rate comprises summing the wear ratios determined for each service segment.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising:
 storing a tire disposal notification for each of the tires in the associated individual tire record upon the tire being scrapped, the tire disposal notification comprising the unique tire identifier.   
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the procurement notification further comprises a tire condition selected from new, used, retreaded, wheel-mounted and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising:
 creating an individual vehicle record for the vehicle, wherein the individual vehicle record is associated with the unique vehicle identifier for the vehicle; and   storing vehicle information in the individual vehicle record, the vehicle information comprising a vehicle type.   
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the vehicle type is selected from vehicle make, model, year, a predetermined vehicle grouping or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the vehicle information further comprises each mounting location on the vehicle, wherein each mounting location is defined by an axle and a wheel position on the axle. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising:
 identifying by the data processing system for each of the plurality of tires the service segments for which the tires were mounted on a selected vehicle type;   determining by the data processing system the wear rate of the tire over the service segments the tire was mounted on the selected vehicle type.   
     
     
         47 . A method in a distributed data processing system for determining a total service cost for each of a plurality of tires, the method comprising:
 creating a plurality of individual tire records, wherein one each of the plurality of individual tire records is associated with one each of the plurality of tires;   storing a procurement notification for each of the tires in the associated individual tire record upon the tire being procured, the procurement notification comprising a tire size, a tire make, a tire series, a tire procurement cost and a unique tire identifier, wherein the unique tire identifier provides a unit of identification for the tire;   storing a mount notification for each of the tires in the associated individual tire record each time the tire is mounted on a vehicle, the mount notification comprising the unique tire identifier, a unique vehicle identifier that provides a unit identification for the vehicle and a mounting position on the vehicle;   storing a dismount notification for each of the tires in the associated individual tire record each time the tire is dismounted from the vehicle, the dismount notification comprising the unique tire identifier and the unique vehicle identifier;   defining a service segment for each of the tires in the associated individual tire record as a period between mounting the tire and dismounting the tire from the vehicle;   storing a vehicle service indicator selected from a tire mount reading, a tire dismount reading, a difference between the tire mount and tire dismount reading or combinations thereof for the defined service segment for each of the tires in the associated individual tire record, wherein the vehicle service indicator is based upon a reading from at least one of an odometer or an hour meter;   storing a retread notification for each of the tires in the associated individual tire record upon the tire being retreaded, the retread notification comprising the unique tire identifier, a cost of the retread operation and a description of a tire retread; and   determining by the data processing system a total service cost of the tire, wherein the total service cost comprises a sum of the procurement cost and the retread cost stored in the associated individual tire record.   
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising:
 storing a tire disposal notification for each of the tires in the associated individual tire record upon the tire being scrapped, the tire disposal notification comprising the unique tire identifier and a cost of disposing of the tire; and   determining by the data processing system a total service cost of the tire, wherein the total service cost further comprises the cost of disposing of the tire.   
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising:
 storing a repair notification for each of the tires in the associated individual tire record upon the tire being repaired, the repair notification comprising the unique tire identifier, a cost of the tire repair and a description of a tire repair; and   determining by the data processing system a total service cost of the tire, wherein the total service cost further comprises the cost of the tire repair.   
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising:
 creating an individual vehicle record for the vehicle, wherein the individual vehicle record is associated with the unique vehicle identifier for the vehicle; and   storing vehicle information in the individual vehicle record, the vehicle information comprising.   
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the vehicle type is selected from vehicle make, model, year, a predetermined vehicle grouping or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 50 , further comprising:
 identifying by the data processing system for each of the plurality of tires the service segments for which the tires were mounted on a selected vehicle type;   determining by the data processing system the service cost of the tire over the service segments the tire was mounted on the selected vehicle type.   
     
     
         53 . A method in a distributed data processing system for automatically procuring a replenishment tire, the method comprising:
 creating a plurality of individual tire records, wherein one each of the plurality of individual tire records is associated with one each of the plurality of tires;   storing a procurement notification for each of the tires in the associated individual tire record upon the tire being procured, the procurement notification comprising a tire size, a tire make, a tire series and a unique tire identifier, wherein the unique tire identifier provides a unit of identification for the tire;   storing a mount notification for each of the tires in the associated individual tire record upon the tire being mounted on a vehicle, the mount notification comprising the unique tire identifier, a unique vehicle identifier that provides a unit identification for the vehicle;   storing a dismount notification for each of the tires in the associated individual tire record upon the tire being dismounted from the vehicle, the dismount notification comprising the unique tire identifier and the unique vehicle identifier;   storing an inventory change notification for each of the tires in the associated individual tire record upon the tire being added to or taken from an available tire inventory;   storing a set of tire inventory management rules, wherein the set comprises instructions for automatically replenishing the available tire inventory if certain criteria are met;   determining whether the certain criteria are met;   determining from the set of tire inventory management rules whether an authorization is provided to automatically procure the replenishment tire if the certain criteria are met; and   if the authorization is provided, automatically procuring the replenishment tire.   
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the set of tire inventory management rules comprises a first set of rules selected from if the available tire inventory falls below a first predetermined minimum then an automatic replenishment of the available tire inventory is triggered, if a quantity of tires having a set of specified characteristics in the available tire inventory falls below a second predetermined minimum then an automatic replenishment of the specifically characterized tires is triggered and replace one-for-one a tire removed from the available inventory with a replenishment tire that is predetermined to be an equivalent tire. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the set of specified characteristics comprises tire size and tire type. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the inventory change notification is sent upon the mount notification or the dismount notification. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the certain criteria is a predetermined minimum inventory of specifically characterized tires in the available tire inventory, the method further comprising:
 storing a location notification for each of the tires in the associated individual tire record upon the tire entering an available tire inventory, the location notification comprising the unique tire identifier and a tire location, the tire location record indicating that the tire is located in the available tire inventory;   determining from the set of tire inventory management rules a specific set of tire characterizations for which the minimum inventory is be maintained, wherein the specific characterizations are selected from a tire size, a tire make, a tire series, a tire condition and combinations thereof;   searching the plurality of individual tire records for those that include the tire location record indicating that the tire is located in the available tire inventory and the specific set of tire characterizations;   determining a total number of found individual tire records, wherein the found individual tire records include the tire location record indicating that the tire is located in the available tire inventory and the specific set of tire characterizations;   determining if the total number of found individual tire records is less than the predetermined minimum inventory of the specifically characterized tires in the available tire inventory;   determining from the set of inventory management rules a predetermined full inventory level for the specifically characterized tires; and   automatically procuring the replenishment tires in an amount that brings the available tire inventory of the specifically characterized tires to the predetermined full level.   
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the certain criteria is replenishment on a one-for-one basis for each tire removed from the available tire inventory, the method further comprises:
 storing a location notification for each of the tires in the associated individual tire record upon the tire entering an available tire inventory, the location notification comprising the unique tire identifier and a tire location, the tire location record indicating that the tire is located in the available tire inventory;   receiving a location notification for a tire, wherein the location notification comprises the unique tire identifier, the tire size, the tire make, the tire series and one or more tire conditions and further comprises a location record indicating that the tire has been removed from the available tire inventory; and   determining from the tire inventory management rules that for each tire removed from the available tire inventory, authorization is provided to automatically procure a replenishment tire of the same tire size, tire make, tire series and one or more tire conditions as the tire removed from the available tire inventory.   
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the step of automatically procuring the replenishment tires comprises:
 providing a delivery instruction for the replenishment tire, the delivery instruction comprising a shipping address and a unique tire identifier for the replenishment tire;   invoicing the customer for the tire purchase;   receiving a location notification for the replenishment tire, wherein the location notification comprises the unique tire identifier and a tire location, the tire location record indicating that the tire is located in the available tire inventory; and   storing the location notification in the associated individual tire record.