Systems and methods for controlling vehicle TPMS sensor localization

• US 10,596,865 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2018
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Patel, Dilip B., Hassani, Ali
• Primary Examiner(s): Elchanti, Hussein
• Application Number:
  US15/885,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20190232733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/044 Near field triggers, e.g. magnets or triggers with 125 KHz
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0461 externally triggered, e.g. by wireless request signal, magnet or manual switch

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for controlling vehicle TPMS sensor localization. An example vehicle includes a plurality of tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) sensors, a communication module, and a controller. The controller is to detect an initiation event associated with the vehicle, and, in response to detecting the initiation event, determine whether first localization information is valid based on information associated with the TPMS sensors. The controller is also to initiate, via the communication module, a localization procedure at the TPMS sensors when the first localization information is not valid.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a plurality of tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) sensors;

a communication module; and

a controller to;

detect an initiation event associated with the vehicle;

responsive to detection of the initiation event, determine whether first localization information is valid based on information associated with the TPMS sensors by comparing a first timestamp associated with the first localization information and a current timestamp; and

determining that the first localization information is not valid when a difference between the first timestamp and the current timestamp does not satisfy a time threshold; and

initiate, via the communication module, a localization procedure at the TPMS sensors when the first localization information is not valid.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is to detect the initiation event in response to a determination that the vehicle is moving.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is to detect the initiation event in response to a determination that a vehicle speed satisfies a threshold speed.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is to initiate the localization procedure at the TPMS sensors by initiating, via the communication module, a paired state with the TPMS sensors.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the paired state is a wireless communication protocol paired state.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first localization information was collected at a time prior to the controller detecting the initiation event.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is to determine whether the first localization information is valid by:

comparing first location information associated with the first localization information and current location information associated with the vehicle; and

determining that the first localization information is not valid when a difference between the first location information and the current location information does not satisfy a location threshold.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is to determine whether the first localization information is valid by:

comparing respective sensor identifiers associated with each of the TPMS sensors to sensor identifiers associated with the first localization information; and

determining that the first localization information is not valid when at least one of the respective sensor identifiers associated with the TPMS sensors is not included in the sensor identifiers associated with the first localization information.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is to determine that the first localization information is not valid when the first localization information includes information associated with an incomplete localization.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is to stop the localization procedure for a TPMS sensor when the respective TPMS sensor is localized.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is to re-initiate the localization procedure with a TPMS sensor in response to receiving an incomplete localization flag from the TPMS sensor.

12. A method comprising:

detecting, via a processor, an initiation event associated with a vehicle;

in response to detecting the initiation event, determining whether first localization information is valid based on information associated with a plurality of tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) sensors of the vehicle by comparing a first timestamp associated with the first localization information and a current timestamp; and

determining that the first localization information is not valid when a difference between the first timestamp and the current timestamp does not satisfy a time threshold; and

initiating, via the processor, a localization procedure at the TPMS sensors when the first localization information is not valid.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the initiating of the localization procedure at the TPMS sensors includes initiating a paired state with the TPMS sensors.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the paired state is a wireless communication protocol paired state.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first localization information was collected at a time prior to the detecting of the initiation event.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining of whether the first localization information is valid includes:

comparing first location information associated with the first localization information and current location information associated with the vehicle; and

determining that the first localization information is not valid when a difference between the first location information and the current location information does not satisfy a location threshold.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining of whether the first localization information is valid includes:

comparing respective sensor identifiers associated with each of the TPMS sensors to sensor identifiers associated with the first localization information; and

determining that the first localization information is not valid when at least one of the respective sensor identifiers associated with the TPMS sensors is not included in the sensor identifiers associated with the first localization information.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining of whether the first localization information is valid includes determining that the first localization information includes information associated with an incomplete localization.