Determining vehicular wheel positions from tire pressure monitoring system signals
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- determining a rotation period of a wheel on a vehicle at a sensor module associated with said wheel;
determining a rotation direction of said wheel at said sensor module;
receiving at least one data packet at a receiver unit of said vehicle from said sensor module, said at least one data packet including said rotation period, said rotation direction, and a unique identifier for said sensor module;
utilizing, at said receiver unit, said rotation period and said unique identifier to ascertain a first partial localization of said wheel, said first partial localization being one of a steered wheel and a non-steered wheel;
utilizing, at said receiver unit, said rotation direction to determine a further partial localization of said wheel, said further partial localization being one of a first side of said vehicle and a second side of said vehicle; and
assigning said wheel to a position on said vehicle based on said unique identifier for said sensor module and said first and further partial localizations.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system includes sensor modules, each associated with a wheel on a vehicle, and a receiver unit. Each sensor module calculates a rotation period associated with the wheel during turn mode vehicular motion and determines rotation direction of the associated wheel during straight vehicular motion. A data packet that includes a unique identifier for the sensor module, the rotation period, and the rotation direction are transmitted from each sensor module for receipt at the receiver unit. The receiver unit determines the steered wheels and non-steered wheels based on the rotation period, and the receiver unit can determine which wheels are on the right side or the left side of the vehicle based on the rotation direction. Knowledge of the steered and non-steered wheels and the rotation direction of the wheels, enables the receiver unit to assign locations of the sensor modules, and hence positions of the wheels of the vehicle.
7 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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determining a rotation period of a wheel on a vehicle at a sensor module associated with said wheel; determining a rotation direction of said wheel at said sensor module; receiving at least one data packet at a receiver unit of said vehicle from said sensor module, said at least one data packet including said rotation period, said rotation direction, and a unique identifier for said sensor module; utilizing, at said receiver unit, said rotation period and said unique identifier to ascertain a first partial localization of said wheel, said first partial localization being one of a steered wheel and a non-steered wheel; utilizing, at said receiver unit, said rotation direction to determine a further partial localization of said wheel, said further partial localization being one of a first side of said vehicle and a second side of said vehicle; and assigning said wheel to a position on said vehicle based on said unique identifier for said sensor module and said first and further partial localizations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method comprising:
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determining a first rotation period of a first wheel on a vehicle at a first sensor module associated with said first wheel; receiving a first data packet at a receiver unit of said vehicle from said first sensor module, said first data packet including said first rotation period and a first unique identifier for said first sensor module; determining a second rotation period of a second wheel on said vehicle at a second sensor module associated with said second wheel; receiving a second data packet at said receiver unit from said second sensor module, said second data packet including said second rotation period and a second unique identifier for said second sensor module; and utilizing, at said receiver unit, said first rotation period and said first unique identifier to ascertain a first partial localization of said first wheel, said first partial localization being one of a steered wheel and a non-steered wheel, and said utilizing operation ascertains a second partial localization of said second wheel from said second rotation period and said second unique identifier, said second partial localization being the other of said steered wheel and said non-steered wheel, wherein said utilizing operation comprises; determining that said first rotation period is a shorter duration than said second rotation period; and ascertaining from said shorter duration of said first rotation period that that said first wheel is said steered wheel and said second wheel is said non-steered wheel.
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7. A method comprising:
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detecting that said vehicle is in a turn mode, said turn mode being one of a right turn and a left turn; determining a first rotation period of a first wheel on a vehicle at a first sensor module associated with said first wheel; receiving a first data packet at a receiver unit of said vehicle from said first sensor module, said first data packet including said first rotation period and a first unique identifier for said first sensor module; determining a second rotation period of a second wheel on said vehicle at a second sensor module associated with said second wheel; receiving a second data packet at said receiver unit from said second sensor module, said second data packet including said second rotation period and a second unique identifier for said second sensor module, wherein each of said first and second rotation periods are determined when said vehicle is in said turn mode; utilizing, at said receiver unit, said first rotation period and said first unique identifier to ascertain a first partial localization of said first wheel, said first partial localization being one of a steered wheel and a non-steered wheel, and said utilizing operation ascertains a second partial localization of said second wheel from said second rotation period and said second unique identifier, said second partial localization being the other of said steered wheel and said non-steered wheel. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A system, comprising:
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a plurality of sensor modules, each of said sensor modules being configured to determine a rotation period for an associated wheel of a plurality of wheels on a vehicle, and each of said sensor modules being further configured to determine a rotation direction for said associated one of said plurality of wheels on said vehicle; a receiver unit configured to receive data packets from said plurality of sensor modules, each of said data packets including said rotation period and a unique identifier for said sensor module associated with said associated wheel of said plurality of wheels, and said receiver unit being further configured to utilize said rotation period and said unique identifier within said data packets to ascertain a first partial localization of said associated wheel, said first partial localization being one of a steered wheel and a non-steered wheel; and said receiver unit being further configured to receive said rotation direction, utilize said rotation direction to determine a further partial location of said wheel, said further partial localization being one of a first side of said vehicle and a second side of said vehicle, and assign said wheel to a position on said vehicle based on said unique identifier for said sensor module and said first and further partial localizations. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A method comprising:
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determining a rotation period of a wheel on a vehicle at a sensor module associated with said wheel; determining a rotation direction of said wheel at said sensor module; receiving at least one data packet at a receiver unit of said vehicle from said sensor module, said at least one data packet including a unique identifier for said sensor module, said rotation period, and said rotation direction, said at least one data packet including said rotation period determined while said vehicle is in a turn mode, said turn mode being one of a right turn and a left turn, and said at least one data packet including said rotation direction while said vehicle is in a non-turning mode; utilizing, at said receiver unit, said rotation period and said unique identifier to ascertain a first partial localization of said wheel, said first partial localization being one of a steered wheel and a non-steered wheel of said wheel; utilizing, at said receiver unit, said rotation direction and said unique identifier to determine a further partial localization of said wheel, said further partial localization being one of a first side of said vehicle and a second side of said vehicle; and assigning said wheel to a position on said vehicle based on said unique identifier for said sensor module and said first and further partial localizations. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification