Method and device for operating a tire pressure monitoring device

• US 10,137,743 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2016
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huf Baolong Electronics Bretten GmbH (Huf Hulsbeck & Furst GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Huf Hulsbeck & Furst GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Seifert, Andre, Mueller, Benjamin, Wagner, Markus, Sandrock, Karsten, Brand, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Culler, Jill E
• Application Number:
  US15/183,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20160288593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0411 Piezoelectric generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0413 Wireless charging of active radio frequency circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0455 Transmission control of wireless signals

Abstract

A tire pressure monitoring device is mounted on a wheel of a vehicle provided with a pneumatic tire. The device contains a tire pressure sensor and a transmitter which transmits signals wirelessly in transmission intervals, between which in each case there is a first transmission pause. A control device controls the sensor, the transmitter and the first transmission pause thereof. A source provides electrical energy to a rechargeable electric accumulator, in which electrical energy delivered from the source is stored until it is required. The state of charge of the rechargeable electric accumulator is monitored by a monitoring device and one or more of the first transmission causes is/are then ended as soon as enough electrical energy is stored in the rechargeable accumulator to operate the tire pressure monitoring device between two successive first transmission pauses until the conclusion of a predetermined number of transmission processes.

Claims

1. A method for operating a tire pressure monitoring device which is mounted on a wheel of a vehicle provided with a pneumatic tire, the method comprising the steps of:

providing the tire pressure monitoring device comprising;

a sensor, which delivers an electric output signal dependent on a tire pressure;

a transmitter, which transmits signals wirelessly in transmission intervals, between which in each case there is a first transmission pause, said signals containing information dependent on the output signal of the sensor;

a control device, which controls the sensor, the transmitter and the first transmission pause thereof;

a source, which provides electrical energy for the operation of the tire pressure monitoring device, wherein the electrical energy to be stored is generated in the tire pressure monitoring device using a generator as the source, the generator generating the electrical energy from the rolling movement of the wheel; and

a rechargeable electric accumulator, in which electrical energy delivered from the source is stored until it is required for the operation of the tire pressure monitoring device;

monitoring the state of charge of the rechargeable electric accumulator by a monitoring device provided in the tire pressure monitoring device; and

ending one or more of the first transmission pauses as soon as enough electrical energy is stored in the rechargeable electric accumulator to operate the tire pressure monitoring device between two successive first transmission pauses until the conclusion of a predetermined number of transmission processes, wherein the predetermined number of transmission process is greater than one.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each first transmission pause is ended as soon as enough electrical energy is stored in the rechargeable electric accumulator to operate the tire pressure monitoring device until the conclusion of a predetermined number of measurement and transmission processes.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined number of measurement and transmission processes taking place between two first transmission pauses for which electrical energy has been stored in the previous first transmission pause is selected to be at most two.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein between two successive first transmission pauses, the transmission processes take place uninterruptedly or at most with second transmission pauses, which are smaller compared with the first transmission pauses.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one or more of the first transmission pauses is/are ended before the energy stored in the rechargeable accumulator reaches a value sufficient for two measurement and transmission processes, and in that the next first transmission pause starts already at the end of the first transmission process.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the voltage of the rechargeable electric accumulator is monitored, and in that the charging process is interrupted when, and for as long as, the voltage of the rechargeable electric accumulator lies above a predefined limit value.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the output signal of the sensor is monitored in the tire pressure monitoring device in order to ascertain whether the measured tire pressure drops below a predefined limit value, and in that in this case a current first transmission pause is ended prematurely.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the output signal of the sensor is monitored in the tire pressure monitoring device in order to ascertain whether the speed at which the measured tire pressure changes exceeds a predefined limit value, and in that in this case a current first transmission pause is ended prematurely.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein a capacitor is used as the rechargeable electric accumulator.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generator uses the piezoelectric effect in order to recover the electrical energy.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electrical energy to be stored is transmitted from a transmitter carried in the vehicle outside the tire pressure monitoring device to a radio receiver provided in the tire pressure monitoring device, which radio receiver conducts said energy into the rechargeable electrical accumulator.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first pause time is reduced with increasing rotational speed of the wheel.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein a measurement and transmission process is started when the state of charge of the rechargeable electrical accumulator, in particular the voltage thereof, lies between an upper limit value and a lower limit value, which are selected such that at least one and at most two measurement and transmission processes can be carried out.

14. A tire pressure monitoring device mounted on a wheel of a vehicle provided with a pneumatic tire, the tire pressure monitoring device comprising:

a sensor, which delivers an electric output signal dependent on a tire pressure;

a transmitter, which transmits signals wirelessly in transmission intervals, between which in each case there is a first transmission pause, said signals containing information dependent on the electric output signal of the sensor;

a control device, which controls the sensor, the transmitter and the first transmission pause thereof;

a source, which provides electrical energy for the operation of the tire pressure monitoring device, wherein the electrical energy to be stored is generated in the tire pressure monitoring device using a generator as the source, the generator generating the electrical energy from the rolling movement of the wheel;

a rechargeable electric accumulator, in which the electrical energy delivered from the source is stored until it is required for the operation of the tire pressure monitoring device; and

a monitoring device is provided in the tire pressure monitoring device in order to monitor the state of charge of the rechargeable electric accumulator, by which monitoring device one or more of the first transmission pauses can be then ended as soon as enough electrical energy is stored in the rechargeable electric accumulator to operate the tire pressure monitoring device between two successive first transmission pauses until the conclusion of a predetermined number of transmission processes, wherein the predetermined number of transmission process is greater than one.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein a capacitor is provided as rechargeable electric accumulator.

16. The device according to claim 14, wherein the generator recovers the electrical energy with use of the piezoelectric effect from the rolling movement of a wheel on which the tire pressure monitoring device is mounted, and in that the generator is arranged in an autonomously working manner in the tire pressure monitoring device.

17. The device according to claim 14, wherein the tire pressure monitoring device contains an integrated circuit, which brings about the measurement processes and is controlled in turn by the monitoring device.