Wheel-monitoring module
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A module operable to monitor at least a pressure within a tire of a wheel of a vehicle, the module being operatively mounted to the wheel, the module including:
- (a) a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure and generating a corresponding pressure signal;
b) an associated data memory including a data field containing data relevant to a functional status of the tire; and
(c) a data processor arranged to detect that the pressure measured by the pressure sensor has fallen below a predetermined threshold value and, upon detecting that the pressure measured by the pressure sensor has fallen below the predetermined threshold value, arranged to communicate a message that the data relevant to the functional status of the tire is unreliable for use in ascertaining the functional status of the tire and as a result to adapt functions of the data processor to default values assuming an inferior tire quality, the data processor being further arranged to detect that the pressure measured by the pressure sensor is above the predetermined threshold value and, upon detecting that the pressure measured by the pressure sensor is above the predetermined threshold value, arranged to communicate a message that the data relevant to the functional status of the tire is reliable for use in ascertaining the functional status of the tire and as a result to adapt application of subsystems of the vehicle to the data stored in the associated memory to control movement of the vehicle,wherein the data field containing data relevant to the functional status of the tire includes one or more of the following data;
a) tire slip curves,b) tire size,c) tire age, andd) a record of the distance the tire has been used.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A module is operable to monitor at least a pressure within a tire of a wheel, the module being operatively mounted to said wheel, the module including (a) a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure (P) and generating a corresponding pressure signal; and b1) an associated data memory including a data field containing data relevant to the functional status of the tire.
-
Citations
30 Claims
-
1. A module operable to monitor at least a pressure within a tire of a wheel of a vehicle, the module being operatively mounted to the wheel, the module including:
-
(a) a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure and generating a corresponding pressure signal; b) an associated data memory including a data field containing data relevant to a functional status of the tire; and (c) a data processor arranged to detect that the pressure measured by the pressure sensor has fallen below a predetermined threshold value and, upon detecting that the pressure measured by the pressure sensor has fallen below the predetermined threshold value, arranged to communicate a message that the data relevant to the functional status of the tire is unreliable for use in ascertaining the functional status of the tire and as a result to adapt functions of the data processor to default values assuming an inferior tire quality, the data processor being further arranged to detect that the pressure measured by the pressure sensor is above the predetermined threshold value and, upon detecting that the pressure measured by the pressure sensor is above the predetermined threshold value, arranged to communicate a message that the data relevant to the functional status of the tire is reliable for use in ascertaining the functional status of the tire and as a result to adapt application of subsystems of the vehicle to the data stored in the associated memory to control movement of the vehicle, wherein the data field containing data relevant to the functional status of the tire includes one or more of the following data; a) tire slip curves, b) tire size, c) tire age, and d) a record of the distance the tire has been used. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method of validation of data relevant to a functional status of a tire stored in a memory of a module mounted in a wheel of a vehicle for tire maintenance, comprising:
-
a) monitoring a pressure in the tire measured by a pressure sensor; b) maintaining the data relevant to the functional status of the tire as reliable as long as the pressure is maintained above a predetermined threshold value; c) determining that the pressure measured by the pressure sensor has fallen below the predetermined threshold valve; and d) setting the data relevant to the functional status of the tire as unreliable for use in ascertaining the functional status of the tire upon determining that the pressure measured by the pressure sensor has fallen below the predetermined threshold value; and wherein a data processor is configured to set the data relevant to the functional status of the tire as unreliable as soon as the pressure measured by the pressure sensor falls below the predetermined threshold value, and the data processor of the module is arranged to communicate a message that the data relevant to the functional status of the tire is unreliable for use in ascertaining the functional status of the tire as soon as the pressure measured by the pressure sensor falls below the predetermined threshold value and as a result to adapt functions of the data processor to default values assuming an inferior tire quality, wherein the data field containing data relevant to the functional status of the tire includes one or more of the following data; a) tire slip curves, b) tire size, c) tire age, and d) a record of the distance the tire has been used, the data processor being further configured to detect that the pressure measured by the pressure sensor is above the predetermined threshold value and, upon detecting that the pressure measured by the pressure sensor is above the predetermined threshold value, arranged to communicate a message that the data relevant to the functional status of the tire is reliable for use in ascertaining the functional status of the tire and as a result to perform a step of adapting application of one or more subsystems of the vehicle to the data stored in the memory to control movement of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. A method of detecting misuse of tires of a vehicle for tire maintenance, comprising:
-
operating a data processor to continuously or periodically update data stored in a data field containing data relevant to a functional status of the tire, wherein the data field includes at least one of; a) tire slip curves, b) tire size, c) tire age, d) a record of the distance the tire has been used, e) a field containing record of samples of pressure measured by the pressure sensor, f) a field containing record of samples of the temperature measured by a temperature sensor mounted on the wheel for monitoring the temperature of the tire; validating data in the data fields by validation of data relevant to the functional status of the tire stored in a module mounted in a wheel, the validation comprising monitoring, a pressure measured by a pressure sensor, maintaining the data relevant to the functional status of the tire as reliable as long as the pressure is maintained above a predetermined threshold value, when the pressure measured by the pressure sensor has fallen below the predetermined threshold value is determined, setting the data relevant to the functional status of the tire as unreliable upon determining that the pressure measured by the pressure sensor has fallen below the predetermined threshold value and as a result adapting functions of the data processor to default values assuming an inferior tire quality, and when the pressure measured by the pressure sensor is above the predetermined threshold value is determined, communicating a message that the data relevant to the functional status of the tire is reliable for use in ascertaining the functional status of the tire and as a result adapting application of subsystems of the vehicle to the data stored in the associated memory to control movement of the vehicle, wherein the data processor is arranged to communicate a message that the data relevant to the functional status of the tire is unreliable for use in ascertaining the functional status of the tire as soon as the pressure measured by the pressure sensor falls below the predetermined threshold value; determining that the validated data shows that the field containing record of samples of pressure measured by the pressure sensor contains data outside a set range or if the field containing record of samples of the temperature measured by a temperature sensor contains data above a threshold value; determining that a misuse of the tire has been present when the validated data shows that the field containing record of samples of pressure measured by the pressure sensor contains data outside the set range or if the field containing record of samples of the temperature measured by a temperature sensor contains data above the threshold value; and adapting a function of an on board system of the vehicle to the default values assuming the inferior tire quality.
-
Specification