Systems and methods for vehicle TPMS localization

• US 10,300,748 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2017
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hassani, Ali, Patel, Dilip B., Van Wiemeersch, John Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tuan H
• Application Number:
  US15/711,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20190084359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0447 Wheel or tyre mounted circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0472 to manually allocate ID codes or mounting positions, e.g. by service technicians
• 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: H04B 17/27 for locating or positioning the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for localizing vehicle TPMS sensors. An example vehicle includes a plurality of TPMS sensors, a communication module, and a processor. The processor is configured for receiving, from a mobile device communicatively coupled to the communication module, a localization request comprising a tire location. The processor is also configured for transmitting wakeup requests to the plurality of TPMS sensors. And the processor is further configured for, responsive to determining signal strength values between each of the plurality of TPMS sensors and the mobile device, associating a selected TPMS sensor with the tire location.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

TPMS sensors;

a communication module; and

a processor to;

receive, via the communication module, a localization request for a tire location from a mobile device near the tire location;

wake up the TPMS sensors to pair with the mobile device;

determine signal strength values of communication between the TPMS sensors and the mobile device; and

identify which of the TPMS sensors is at the tire location based on the signal strength values.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein, to identify which of the TPMS sensors is at the tire location, the processor determines which of the TPMS sensors corresponds with a greatest of the signal strength values.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein, to determine the signal strength values, the processor receives, from each respective TPMS sensor, data indicating a signal strength between the respective TPMS sensor and the mobile device.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein, to determine the signal strength values, the processor receives, from the mobile device, data indicating the signal strength values.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the TPMS sensors include a first TPMS sensor and a second TPMS sensor corresponding respectively to an inner tire and an outer tire positioned on the same side of a vehicle axle, wherein, when the mobile device is nearest to the inner tire, the processor is to:

wake up the first and second TPMS sensors;

determine-a first signal strength value between the first TPMS sensor and the mobile device and a second signal strength value between the second TPMS sensor and the mobile device;

determine that the first signal strength value is greater than the second signal strength value; and

responsively identify that the inner tire includes the first TPMS sensor.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein, when the mobile device is nearest to the outer tire, the processor is to:

wake up the first and second TPMS sensors;

determine the first signal strength value between the first TPMS sensor and the mobile device and the second signal strength value between the second TPMS sensor and the mobile device;

determine that the second signal strength value is greater than the first signal strength value; and

responsively identify that the outer tire includes the first TPMS sensor.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is to:

determine current signal strength values between the communication module and the TPMS sensors;

determine that one or more of the current signal strength values is different from a corresponding historic signal strength value by a threshold amount; and

responsively transmit-a message to the mobile device requesting a re-localization of one or more of the TPMS sensors.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein, to wake up the TPMS sensors, the processor transmits wakeup requests to the TPMS sensors via the communication module.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein, to transmit the wakeup requests, the processor is to:

determine a subset of the TPMS sensors based on the tire location; and

transmit the wakeup requests to the subset of the TPMS sensors.

10. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the communication module transmits the wakeup requests via a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) antenna.

11. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the communication module transmits the wakeup requests via a low frequency antenna.

12. A method for a vehicle, comprising:

receiving, via a communication module, a localization request for a tire location from a mobile device near the tire location;

waking up TPMS sensors upon receiving the localization request;

determining, via a processor, signal strength values of communication between the TPMS sensors and the mobile device; and

identifying, via the processor, which one of the TPMS sensors is at-the tire location based on the signal strength values.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising, to identify which of the TPMS sensors is at the tire location, determining which of the TPMS sensors corresponds to a greatest of the signal strength values.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising causing the TPMS sensors to pair with the mobile device for communication upon waking up the TPMS sensors.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the signal strength values includes receiving, from each respective TPMS sensor, data indicating a signal strength between the respective TPMS sensor and the mobile device.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein waking up the TPMS sensors includes transmitting wakeup requests to the TPMS sensors via the communication module.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining a subset of the TPMS sensors based on the tire location, wherein the wakeup requests are transmitted to the subset of the TPMS sensors.

18. A vehicle comprising:

TPMS sensors;

a communication module; and

a processor to;

receive, via the communication module, a localization request for a tire location from a mobile device near the tire location;

wake up the TPMS sensors to pair with the mobile device;

determine values of angle of arrival for communication between the TPMS sensors and the mobile device; and

identify which of the TPMS sensors is at-the tire location based on the values.

19. The vehicle of claim 18, wherein the processor is to:

determine current angle of arrival values between the communication module and the TPMS sensors;

determine that one or more current angle of arrival values is different from a historic angle of arrival value by a threshold amount; and

responsively transmit a message to the mobile device requesting a re-localization of one or more of the TPMS sensors.

20. The vehicle of claim 18, wherein determining the values of angle of arrival comprises receiving, from each respective TPMS sensor, data indicating an angle of arrival between the respective TPMS sensor and the mobile device.