Method for monitoring tire pressure of pneumatic tire and device therefor

• US 20020024432A1
• Filed: 07/24/2001
• Published: 02/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lite-On Automotive Corp. (Lite-On Technology Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lite-On Automotive Corp. (Lite-On Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: Kuan, Frank, Lin, Jordan
• Application Number:
  US09/910,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20020024432A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/442
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0401 characterised by the type of alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0416 allocating a corresponding wheel position on vehicle, e.g. front/left or rear/right

Abstract

A method for monitoring the pneumatic tires of a vehicle, the vehicle includes a monitoring device which comprises at least one sensor module attached to a tire of the vehicle for sensing the condition of the tire and transmitting the radio frequency signal of the condition after encoded, and a decoding module comprising a radio frequency antenna module to receive the radio frequency signal transmitted by the sensor module, a memory to record the data of the predetermined range of the state of the tire and the monitored data of the condition of the tire, a processor to decode the received radio signal for comparing with the data recorded in the memory so as to decide the state of the pneumatic tire, a display device to show the state of the pneumatic tire, and a siren, the method for monitoring the pneumatic tire comprising the steps of: starting the monitor device; reading the signal of the condition of the tire sent by the sensor module and showing the state via the display device and recording the condition data of the tire transmitted by the sensor module in the memory when the vehicle is started; comparing the data of the condition of the tire and at least one predetermined range stored in the memory, if the condition is in the predetermined range, the tire is abnormal, then actuating the display to show the abnormal state and buzzing by the siren; comparing the data of the present condition of the tire with the data of the condition when the vehicle is turned off, if the difference therebetween is more than a first predetermined value, the tire is slow-leaking, then actuating the display to show the slow-leaking state and buzzing by the siren; and stopping the monitoring device.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring the pneumatic tires of a vehicle comprising the steps of:

providing at least one sensor module attached to a tire of the vehicle;

continuously sensing a condition of the tire, encoding the condition and transmitting a radio frequency signal of the encoded condition;

receiving the radio frequency signal of the condition and decoding the received radio signal;

reading a first data of the condition when the vehicle is started;

providing a display device for showing the first data;

reading a second data of the condition after the vehicle being started; and

comparing the second data with the first data, wherein when the difference therebetween is more than a predetermined value, the tire is in a slow-leaking state, then actuating the display to show the slow-leaking state and sounding the siren.

2. The method for monitoring the pneumatic tires of a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

reading a third data of the condition after the second data being read for a predetermined time period;

comparing the third data with the second data, wherein when the difference therebetween is more than the predetermined value, the tire is in the slow-leaking state, then actuating the display device to show the slow-leaking state and sounding the siren.

3. The method for monitoring the pneumatic tires of a vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the condition of the tire is pressure.

4. The method for monitoring the pneumatic tires of a vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the predetermined value is 1.4 PSI, and the predetermined time period is 10 minutes.

5. The method for monitoring the pneumatic tires of a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

real-time reading the data of the condition and actuating the display device to show the real-time data.

6. A method for monitoring the pneumatic tires of a vehicle comprising the steps of:

providing at least one sensor module attached to a tire of the vehicle;

continuously sensing a condition of the tire, encoding the condition and transmitting a radio frequency signal of the encoded condition;

receiving the radio frequency signal of the condition and decoding the received radio signal;

reading a first data of the condition when the vehicle is started;

providing a display device for show the first data;

reading a second data of the condition after the vehicle being started; and

comparing the second data with at least one predetermined range, wherein when the condition is in the predetermined range, the tire is in a abnormal state, then actuates the display device to show the abnormal state and sounds the siren;

reading the third data of the condition when the vehicle is turned off; and

comparing a third data with the first data, wherein when the difference therebetween is more than a first predetermined value, the tire is in a slow-leaking state, then actuating the display to show the slow-leaking state and sounding the siren.

7. The method for monitoring the pneumatic tires of a vehicle as claimed in claim 6, further comprising the step of:

real-time reading the data of the condition and actuating the display device to show the real-time data.

8. The method for monitoring the pneumatic tires of a vehicle as claimed in claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

reading a fourth data of the condition after the second data being read for a predetermined time period; and

comparing the fourth data with the second data, wherein when the difference therebetween is more than a second predetermined value, the tire is in the slow-leaking state, then actuates the display device to show the slow-leaking state and sounds the siren.

9. The method for monitoring the pneumatic tires of a vehicle as claimed in claim 6, further comprising the step of:

comparing the second data with the first data, wherein when the difference therebetween is more than the first predetermined value, the tire is in the slow-leaking state, then actuates the display device to show the slow-leaking state and sounds the siren.

10. The method for monitoring the pneumatic tires of a vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein the condition of the tire comprises pressure.

11. The method for monitoring the pneumatic tires of a vehicle as claimed in claim 9, wherein the condition of the tire comprises pressure.

12. The method for monitoring the pneumatic tires of a vehicle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first predetermined value is 1.4 PSI.

13. The method for monitoring the pneumatic tires of a vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein the predetermined time period is 10 minutes, and the second predetermined value is 1 PSI.

14. The method for monitoring the pneumatic tires of a vehicle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the predetermined range is more than 45 PSI for representing that the pressure of the tire is too high.

15. The method for monitoring the pneumatic tires of a vehicle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the predetermined range is from 23 PSI to 15 PSI for representing that the pressure of the tire is slightly low.

16. The method for monitoring the pneumatic tires of a vehicle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the predetermined range is from 15 PSI to 9 PSI for representing that the pressure of the tire is too low.

17. The method for monitoring the pneumatic tires of a vehicle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the predetermined range is less than 9 PSI for representing that the pressure of the tire is seriously low, and the display device and the siren will be actuated to warn only once so as to avoid interfering the driver after the spare tire being changed.

18. The method for monitoring of pneumatic tires of a vehicle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the condition of the tire comprises temperature.

19. The method for monitoring the pneumatic tires of a vehicle as claimed in claim 18, wherein the predetermined range is more than 85°

C. for representing that the temperature of the tire is too high.

20. The method for monitoring the pneumatic tires of a vehicle as claimed in claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

identifying the sensor module attached to the individual tire of the vehicle by mean of a identifying signal sent by the sensor module when the pressure of the tire drops rapidly; and

recording the relationship between the position of the tire of the vehicle and the sensor module attached thereto.

21. The method for monitoring the pneumatic tires of a vehicle as claimed in claim 20, wherein the identifying step is controlled by the operation of the key of the vehicle.

22. A device for monitoring the pneumatic tires of a vehicle, comprising:

at least one sensor module attached to a tire of the vehicle used to sense a condition of the tire and transmit the radio frequency signal of the encoded condition; and

a decoding module comprising;

a radio frequency antenna module for receiving a radio frequency signal which is sent by the sensor module;

a memory for recording the data of a predetermined range of the tire using state and the monitored data of the condition of the tire;

a processor for decoding the received radio signal and comparing the data of the memory therewith to decide the using state of the pneumatic tire;

a display device for showing the using state of the pneumatic tire; and

a siren,

wherein the monitoring device can be used for monitoring the condition of the tire to which the sensor module is attached and is controlled by the operation of the key of the vehicle, and the monitoring device can be used for comparing the present condition of the tire with the condition of the tire when the vehicle is turned on, wherein when the difference therebetween is more than a first predetermined value, then the tire is in a slow-leaking state.

23. The monitoring device as claimed in claim 22, wherein the monitoring device can be used for comparing the conditions of the tire for a predetermined time period, wherein when the difference therebetween is more than a second predetermined value, then the tire is in the slow-leaking state.

24. The monitoring device as claimed in claim 22, wherein the condition of the tire is pressure.

25. The monitoring device as claimed in claim 24, wherein the first predetermined value is 1.4 PSI.

26. The monitoring device as claimed in claim 24, wherein the predetermined period is 10 minutes, and the second predetermined value is 1.0 PSI.

27. The monitoring device as claimed in claim 22, wherein the sensor module of the monitoring device will transmit continuously a signal when the pressure of the tire drops rapidly, and the signal includes the identifying codes of the sensor module whereby the monitoring device can identify the relationship between the position of the tire of the vehicle and the sensor module attached thereto.

28. The monitoring device as claimed in claim 27, wherein the monitoring device further comprises a memory to record the identifying code that is sent by the sensor module.

29. The monitoring device as claimed in claim 22, wherein the monitoring device further comprises a light control device connected to the indoor-light controller of the vehicle so as to adjust the illumination of the display device.

30. The monitoring device as claimed in claim 22, wherein the monitoring device further comprises a display control device to controllably show the condition of the tire of the vehicle.

31. The monitoring device as claimed in claim 22, wherein the monitoring device further comprises an abnormal state display device to show the abnormal state of the tire of the vehicle.