Methods and apparatus to facilitate TPMS broadcast mode selection

• US 10,245,904 B1
• Filed: 12/18/2017
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Van Wiemeersch, John Robert, Hassani, Ali, Patel, Dilip B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hung T
• Application Number:
  US15/845,293
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 340442, 340445, 340446, 340447, 73146, 731464, 731465
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0442 the transmitted signal comprises further information, e.g. instruction codes, sensor characteristics or identification data
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0462 Structure of transmission protocol
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0464 to avoid signal interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/106 Packet or message integrity

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed to facilitate TPMS broadcast mode selection. An example vehicle comprises sensors, a processor, and memory. The processor is in communication with the memory and with the sensors. The processor is configured to: receive an unencrypted signal indicating an abnormal tire pressure, enter an encrypted mode with the sensors, receive an encrypted follow up tire pressure status from the sensors, and determine whether the unencrypted signal is authentic based on the encrypted follow up tire pressure status.

Claims

1. A vehicle tire pressure monitoring system comprising:

sensors; and

a processor and memory in communication with the sensors and configured to;

receive an unencrypted signal indicating an abnormal tire pressure data;

enter an encrypted mode with the sensors;

receive an encrypted follow up tire pressure data status from the sensors; and

determine whether the unencrypted signal is authentic based on the encrypted follow up tire pressure data status.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein, if the unencrypted signal is inauthentic, the processor is further configured to exit the encrypted mode.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, wherein, if the unencrypted signal is inauthentic, the processor is further configured to:

associate location data from the GPS receiver with the inauthentic unencrypted signal; and

store the associated inauthentic unencrypted signal and location data in the memory.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a synchronization clock, wherein, if the unencrypted signal is inauthentic, the processor is further configured to:

associate time data from the synchronization clock with the inauthentic unencrypted signal; and

store the associated inauthentic unencrypted signal and time data in the memory.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an infotainment head unit (IHU), wherein, if the unencrypted signal is authentic, the processor is further configured to display a message indicating the abnormal tire pressure data via the IHU.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to display the message until tire pressure is within a predetermined range.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein, if tire pressure data included in the unencrypted signal does not match tire pressure data included in the encrypted follow up tire pressure data status, the unencrypted signal is inauthentic.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to authenticate the sensors based on time of flight localization.

9. A method of a vehicle tire pressure monitoring system comprising:

receiving, with a processor, an unencrypted signal indicating an abnormal tire pressure data;

entering, with the processor, an encrypted mode with sensors;

receiving, with the processor, an encrypted follow up tire pressure data status from the sensors; and

determining, with the processor, whether the unencrypted signal is authentic based on the encrypted follow up tire pressure data status.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, if the unencrypted signal is inauthentic, exiting, with the processor, the encrypted mode.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising, if the unencrypted signal is inauthentic:

associating, with the processor, location data from a global positioning system (GPS) receiver with the inauthentic unencrypted signal; and

storing, with the processor, the associated inauthentic unencrypted signal and location data in a memory.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising, if the unencrypted signal is inauthentic:

associating, with the processor, time data from a synchronization clock with the inauthentic unencrypted signal; and

storing, with the processor, the associated inauthentic unencrypted signal and time data in a memory.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising, if the unencrypted signal is authentic, displaying, with the processor, a message indicating the abnormal tire pressure data via an infotainment head unit (IHU).

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising, removing the message from the IHU when tire pressure is within a predetermined range.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising authenticating, with the processor, the sensors based on time of flight localization.

16. A vehicle tire pressure monitoring system comprising:

sensors disposed in wheel and tire assemblies of the vehicle; and

a processor in communication with the sensors and configured to;

receive an unencrypted signal including first tire pressure data;

selectively enter an encrypted communication mode with the sensors based on the first tire pressure data;

transmit an encrypted request to the sensors for second tire pressure data;

receive an encrypted signal from the sensors including the second tire pressure data; and

authenticate the unencrypted signal based on the first tire pressure data and the second tire pressure data.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor enters the encrypted communication mode when the first tire pressure data indicates that air pressure in one or more of the wheel and tire assemblies is outside a predetermined range.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein, if the unencrypted signal is inauthentic, the processor is further configured to exit the encrypted communication mode and to dismiss the first tire pressure data.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

memory in communication with the processor;

a global positioning system receiver in communication with the processor; and

a synchronization clock in communication with the processor;

wherein, if the unencrypted signal is inauthentic, the processor is further configured to associatively store the inauthentic unencrypted signal with location and time data in the memory.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to authenticate the sensors based on time of flight localization.