Method for monitoring vehicle tires with a tire pressure control system

• US 10,486,478 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2017
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Fraiss, Karim, Smouter, Terrance, Pennell, Jr., Jerry Wayne, Scher, Andreas, Dieringer, Timo
• Primary Examiner(s): Girma, Fekadeselassie
• Application Number:
  US16/315,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20190329608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms

Abstract

A method monitors the tire pressure of a multiplicity of parked vehicles or vehicle trailers. The method has the following steps: making available a drone with a receiver unit for acquiring radio-based tire data from a tire pressure control system, wherein the drone is stationed at a base station; lifting off of the drone from the base station and flying along a predefined flight route, wherein the drone flies along a flight route above the vehicles or the vehicle trailers, wherein, while flying along the flight route, the drone takes into account the transmitter range of the respective tire pressure control systems; receiving tire data from one tire pressure control system or a multiplicity of tire pressure control systems with the receiver unit of the drone; flying the drone back to the base station; and, evaluating the received tire data with a central receiver and control unit.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring vehicle tires with a tire pressure control system, wherein the vehicle tires are mounted on a vehicle or on a vehicle trailer and wherein the vehicles or vehicle trailers are in a parked position in a parking area, the method comprising the steps of:

a) providing a drone having a receiver unit for acquiring radio-based tire data from the tire pressure control system with the drone being stationed at a base station;

b) lifting off of the drone from the base station and flying along a predefined flight path above the vehicles or the vehicle trailers causing the drone to take into account the transmitter range of the respective tire pressure control systems while flying along the flight path;

c) receiving tire data from one tire pressure control system or a multiplicity of tire pressure control systems with the receiver unit of the drone;

d) flying the drone back to the base station;

e) evaluating the received tire data in a central receiver and control unit and activating a warning signal when a fault diagnosis is made; and

,

f) displaying the warning signal with the central receiver and control unit and issuing an identification specification of the vehicle or of the vehicle trailer with the low tire pressure with the warning signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, in step f), the central receiver and control unit issues a position specification for the vehicle or the vehicle trailer with the low tire pressure with the warning signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fault diagnosis can relate to a low tire pressure at a vehicle tire, a low battery status or a loose tire module in the vehicle tire.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle trailers are truck trailers, and the truck trailers are located in a parking area for a truck trailer fleet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, in step f) the central receiver and control unit issues a position specification for the vehicle tire with the low pressure on the truck trailer with the warning signal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, in step b) the flight route is made to extend above the truck trailers in a serpentine line.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, in step b), when flying along the flight path, the drone remains stationary in the air at individual positions for at least 10 seconds in order to be able to reliably receive the tire data from the individual tire pressure control systems.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, in step b), when flying along the flight path, the drone remains stationary in the air at individual positions for 10 seconds to 3 minutes in order to be able to reliably receive the tire data from the individual tire pressure control systems.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the tire pressure control system comprises a tire module which is arranged in the tire cavity on the inside of the tire.