Pump with tire fill assist

• US 10,086,803 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2013
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Schondorf, Steven Yellin, Van Wiemeersch, John Robert, Kleve, Robert Bruce, Swadling, Greg, Patel, Dilip B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maust, Timothy L
• Application Number:
  US14/011,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20150059918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,862 Days
• Field of Search: 141 4, 141 6, 141 13, 141 37, 141 38, 141 39, 141 83, 141 94, 141 95, 141 96, 141192, 141197, 141198, 141206, 141214, 141217, 141226, 152415
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0479 Communicating with external units being not part of the vehicle, e.g. tools for diagnostic, mobile phones, electronic keys or service stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 5/046 using electrical or electronical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 17/00 Devices or apparatus for measuring tyre pressure or the pressure in other inflated bodies

Abstract

A pump system includes a pneumatic pump, a hose, a nozzle that can attach to a tire of a vehicle, and a processing device. The processing device receives a target tire pressure for the tire, receives a current tire pressure of the tire, and controls the operation of the pneumatic pump according to the target tire pressure and the current tire pressure. A method includes receiving a target tire pressure for a tire of a vehicle, receiving a current tire pressure of the tire, and controlling operation of a pneumatic pump according to the target tire pressure and the current tire pressure.

Claims

1. A method comprising prompting, via a user interface device of an air pump, a user to select at least one of a mobile device and a vehicle;

receiving a first user input representing at least one of the mobile device and the vehicle selected by the user;

capturing, via an image reader, an image of a vehicle placard that shows a target tire pressure associated with at least one tire of the vehicle;

determining the target tire pressure from the image of the vehicle placard captured by an image reader;

prompting the user to select one of the tires of the vehicle;

receiving a second user input representing the tire selected by the user;

wirelessly receiving a current tire pressure of the selected tire from a tire pressure monitor incorporated into the selected tire; and

controlling operation of a pneumatic pump according to the target tire pressure and the current tire pressure wirelessly received from the tire pressure monitor incorporated into the selected tire.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the operation of the pneumatic pump includes enabling the pneumatic pump if the current tire pressure is less than the target tire pressure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the operation of the pneumatic pump includes disabling the pneumatic pump if the current tire pressure is equal to the target tire pressure.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising opening a pressure release valve to reduce a pressure of the tire if the current tire pressure is greater than the target tire pressure.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising prompting the user to confirm the target tire pressure via a user interface device of the air pump.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a communication session with the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the communication session includes wirelessly communicating with the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a communication session with the mobile device; and

wherein the target tire pressure is confirmed by a third user input received via the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the placard is located inside a door of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the target tire pressure includes processing the image of the placard to determine the target tire pressure.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the image reader is incorporated into at least one of a placard reader and a mobile device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an identification code from the tire pressure monitor incorporated into the tire being inflated, wherein the identification code is associated with the tire being inflated; and

identifying the tire being inflated according to the identification code.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium tangibly embodying computer-executable instructions that cause a processor to execute operations comprising prompting, via a user interface device of an air pump, a user to select at least one of a mobile device and a vehicle;

receiving a first user input representing at least one of the mobile device and the vehicle selected by the user;

capturing, via an image reader, an image of a vehicle placard that shows a target tire pressure associated with at least one tire of the vehicle;

determining the target tire pressure from the image of the vehicle placard captured by an image reader;

prompting the user to select one of the tires of the vehicle;

receiving a second user input representing the tire selected by the user;

wirelessly receiving a current tire pressure of the selected tire from a tire pressure monitor incorporated into the selected tire; and

controlling operation of a pneumatic pump according to the target tire pressure and the current tire pressure wirelessly received from the tire pressure monitor incorporated into the selected tire.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, the operations further comprising prompting the user to confirm the target tire pressure via the user interface device of the air pump.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, the operations further comprising:

establishing a communication session with at least one of the vehicle and the mobile device in communication with the vehicle,

wherein the target tire pressure is confirmed by a third user input received via at least one of the vehicle and the mobile device in communication with the vehicle.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein controlling the operation of the pneumatic pump includes:

enabling the pneumatic pump if the current tire pressure is less than the target tire pressure,

disabling the pneumatic pump if the current tire pressure is equal to the target tire pressure, and

reducing a pressure of the tire by disabling the pneumatic pump and opening a pressure release valve if the current tire pressure is greater than the target tire pressure.